Israel investigates Sharon death threats

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3655974.stm

Sharon death threats spark probe
Israeli police are investigating death threats against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, as he faces angry opposition to his Gaza pullout plan.
The threats were made by telephone against Mr Sharon and the official in charge of the withdrawal, police said.

Mr Sharon has just won cabinet approval for a compensation package for Jewish settlers uprooted under the scheme.

A Jewish militant opposed to peace with the Palestinians assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.

Mr Sharon warned on Sunday that some right-wing groups opposed to his plans to withdraw from Gaza were calling for civil war.

Thousands marched in Jerusalem over the weekend in support of Jewish settlers who reject Mr Sharon's scheme for giving up territory in Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Some groups are calling for the Israeli army to disobey their superiors when the order comes to dismantle the settlements.

The BBC's Middle East correspondent, James Reynolds, said of the protests that many in Israel find the present political climate echoes that which preceded the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin nine years ago.

Posters investigated

The chief of Israel's internal Shin Bet security agency, Avraham Dichter, told the Reuters news agency there was not enough evidence yet to arrest anyone on suspicion of plotting to kill Mr Sharon.


But, he cautioned, "someone could pull the trigger on him any time".
Police officials have said they are taking the threats against Mr Sharon extremely seriously.

Anonymous phone calls made to the office handling the Gaza plan also threatened the life of an official in charge of the withdrawal, Jonathan Bassi, a police source told the AFP news agency.

The investigation into the death threats is also examining the groups behind some of the posters displayed by protesters during Sunday's rally in Jerusalem, Israel Radio reports.

Most Israelis support the prime minister's plan to withdraw from Gaza, according to polls, but there is mounting opposition to the plan from settler organisations and Jewish hardliners.

About 8,000 Jews live in 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip, alongside 1.3 million Palestinians.

Israel is planning to pull all its settlers from Gaza and the troops that protect them as part of a disengagement plan. Israel will maintain control of Gaza's borders, coastline and airspace. Four West Bank settlements are also to be evacuated.