http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,147749,00.html
 
excerpt
Israel's parliament was to hold a final vote on the Gaza withdrawal on Wednesday, with the plan expected to win overwhelming approval. Having lost the political battle, Jewish extremists have stepped up a campaign of threats and intimidation against politicians who support the plan.

At a news conference for foreign reporters, Sharon was upbeat, saying that Israel was at a "crossroads for peace" after last week's summit.

At the carefully stage-managed event, however, Sharon also warned that if Palestinian militants attack Israeli soldiers or settlers during the pullout, Israel would respond harshly or even call it off.

Sharon originally envisioned the Gaza pullout as a unilateral move, but said Tuesday he is ready to work with the new Palestinian leadership. "We already started to coordinate," he said. "I instructed to start coordination of our withdrawal ... from Gaza."

The prime minister said he hopes coordination with Abbas will prevent Islamic militants from taking over once Israel leaves Gaza. Palestinian legislative elections are set for July, coinciding with the start of the pullout, and the militant Hamas group is seen as a strong challenger to Abbas' Fatah.

Sharon said his plan would solidify Israel's grip on main settlement blocs in the West Bank, which "will be part of the Jewish state in the future."

Reacting, Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said, "Israel must choose between settlements or peace. It cannot have both."

He said no peace plan cold be imposed on Israel, insisting on sticking with the internationally backed "road map" plan. However, he said, negotiations have not resumed on the plan. He hoped the two sides were on the way to talking about the "road map," which leads through stages to a Palestinian state.

The return of the Jordanian ambassador to Israel marks the end of a four-year break. Jordan and Egypt, the only Arab states that have signed peace treaties with Israel, downgraded representation after the September 2000 outbreak of a Palestinian uprising, protesting what they said was Israel's excessively forceful response.

Jordan had formally asked Israel last week to approve its nomination of al-Bakhit, who is currently serving as the kingdom's envoy to Turkey. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom's office said a swift approval was expected.

Egypt is also expected to return its ambassador to Israel.

Also Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz announced that the current military chief, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, would be replaced in July at the end of his three-year term — just before the Gaza pullout. It has been decades since a military chief has had his request for a one-year extension rejected.