GUSH KATIF SETTLEMENT BLOC, Gaza Strip, Aug 19 (AFP) - Jewish settlers in the Gush Katif settlement bloc on Thursday hailed the defeat of Ariel Sharon's plan to draw the opposition Labour party into government as yet "another nail in the coffin" of the Israeli premier's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
"It was a very positive result," said Dror Vanunu, director of the Katif region development fund in southern Gaza.
"It's another nail in the coffin of the disengagement plan," he added, while predicting that Sharon would go ahead with his scheme.
Late Tuesday, members of Sharon's right-wing Likud party voted down his ambition to bring Labour into a new broad-based coalition by 843 votes to 612.
Bringing Labour into the ruling coalition is crucial for Sharon to achieve a parliamentary majority for his so-called disengagement plan which would see all Jewish settlers and Israeli troops withdrawn from Gaza by the end of next year.
"Sharon was elected by the majority of the people and Likud became the biggest party in this country because people prefer this government to have a right-wing solution," Vanunu told AFP.
Despite Tuesday's vote, Vanunu is convinced Sharon will still plough ahead with his plan.
"It will just make him more determined to carry it out," he said.
Sharon himself has made clear he does not consider himself bound by the outcome and many observers believe he will push on with coalition talks with Labour.
Anita Tucker, a 58-year-old celery farmer from the Netzer Hazani settlement, was also pleased with the outcome.
"I'm very happy that the Likud told him they don't want to have the Labour party in government," she told AFP.
"On the other hand, Labour has helped us a lot in the past so I don't think it would be much different even if they were in government."