HERZLIYA, Israel, Dec 16 (AFP) Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was expected to deliver a stout defence of his controversial Gaza pullout plan and his vision for Middle East peace in the post-Arafat era in a keynote speech Thursday.
Commentators said the prime minister was likely to point to the demographic trend, which would see Jews become a minority in Israel and the occupied territories within a decade, as proving that a pullout from the Gaza Strip was vital to the future of the Jewish state.
Sharon first unveiled details of his so-called disengagement plan in a speech in Herzliya a year ago, although the commitment to leave Gaza by 2005 was not spelled out until February this year.
He is also likely to reiterate a willingness to coordinate the pullout with the new Palestinian leadership which has emerged since the death of Yasser Arafat last month -- but only if it cracks down on armed militants.
Sharon has seen his coalition crumble in the past six months after the departure from goverment of two right-wing parties opposed to the withdrawal.
He is currently trying to persuade the main opposition Labour party to join a new broad-based coalition. Failure to forge a new coalition is likely to force early elections which would then imperil the Gaza pullout timetable.
12/16/2004 15:49 GMT - AFP