ISRAEL today put off a decision on whether to delay a withdrawal from Gaza by three weeks to mid-August to avoid a Jewish mourning period, amid concerns such a move could throw the plan off track.
A delay could give rightist Jewish settlers more time to mount resistance to the plan to evacuate them from occupied land, which United States-led mediators hope will kick-start a "road map" peace process between Israel and Palestine.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had ruled out any delay but changed his mind yesterday, pointing to religious sensibilities during a period of mourning that marks the destruction of two biblical temples in Jerusalem. The observance ends on August 14.
A committee of ministers in Mr Sharon's fractious "unity" coalition formed to oversee the withdrawal plan decided after hours of debate today to put off a decision pending further consultations with security commanders.
Israeli media said some commanders feared a delay could upset elaborate preparations for coping with looming protests against what would be the first pullout from occupied land where Palestinians want an independent state.
Israel Radio quoted Mr Sharon as telling the ministers they must come to a decision quickly.
"Disengagement" from Gaza has been slated to begin on July 20. But some uncertainty has been raised by a lack of firm plans as to where to relocate settlers.
Ministers in Mr Sharon's right-wing Likud party argued for a postponement on religious and logistical grounds. Those in the centre-left Labour party said the government should stick to the original timetable to avoid any impression of vacillation.
Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz, who was part of a hardline faction in the divided Likud that tried in vain to scuttle the withdrawal in parliament, said he urged a delay until after the annual Jewish High Holidays in October.
"This isn't political. The conditions aren't ripe. Nothing is ready. We must all unite around solutions for settlers we sent (to the territory) over the years," Mr Katz said.
The government has not yet decided where to move the settlers nor begun to erect housing or find jobs for them.
Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz of Likud said a three-week delay was under serious consideration.
"But a longer delay (into October) is not practical. I don't think that will happen."
During the mourning period culminating in the Tisha B'Av fast day, devout Jews customarily do not move house, go on leisure outings, wear new clothes or get haircuts. Mr Sharon said he preferred not to uproot Jews during this period.
But Interior Minister Ophir Pines-Paz of Labour said Likud rightists would try to exploit any delay to derail the pullout.
"They began with a (failed) attempt to stage a referendum at a very late date and now attempts to change the timeline have resumed. Any change now will be interpreted as weakness and lack of resolve," Mr Pines-Paz said after the ministerial session.
A crowd of Gaza settlers jeered Mr Mofaz on his way into a meeting with their leaders in the Gush Katif enclave today, chanting "You are Sharon's poodle" and "go home". They also blocked a road with burning tyres.
Polls show 70 per cent of Israelis favour extracting 8500 settlers from what they see as a bloody quagmire in Gaza. Right wingers call the plan a "reward for Palestinian terrorism".
Palestinians welcome the pullout but not the flipside of Mr Sharon's plan - permanent Israeli control over larger tracts of the West Bank where most of Israel's 240,000 settlers live.
The West Bank would comprise the bulk of a viable state Palestinians hope for under the "road map" plan and Washington has pressed Israel to heed a clause requiring it to freeze settlement-building in the territory.
Mr Sharon has repeatedly demanded Palestinians "dismantle terrorist groups", a precondition for statehood talks.
To that end, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told a group of Israeli journalists today weapons had been collected from militants in two West Bank cities so far.
Mr Abbas coaxed a ceasefire from militants earlier this year.