Cabinet approves PM's revised pullout plan by 14-7 majority

[Gimel]

After overcoming several setbacks, the cabinet approved Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's revised disengagement plan by a 14-7 majority on Sunday evening.

The vote was halted earlier Sunday when Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, and Education Minister Limor Livnat demanded that the letters of understanding exchanged between Sharon and U.S. President George W. Bush be excluded from the government decision. The demand was made because the letters that Sharon and Bush exchanged clearly state that settlements would ultimately be evacuated.

Earlier Sunday, the Prime Minister's Office said that Likud ministers had reached a compromise deal on the revised disengagement plan.

Sources close to Netanyahu, Livnat and Shalom said the compromise formula the government was to vote on would not include a decision to dismantle settlements, in principle or in practice.

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It passed!...er ...sort of.