"Only Israeli political initiative will retain our strong grasp of the large settlement blocs and security areas," Sharon said in a speech at Maaleh Adumim, near Jerusalem.
"These are places that will remain under Israeli control and that will continue to grow stronger and develop."

These are quotes from the CNN article that you linked to above. While the concept sounds great, the idea that Israel is going to keep large settlement blocs which they are openingly admiting will grow is a little unnerving. It sounds to me like we will be right back where we started in a decades time. But that's just my opinoin.

sharon reminds me of nixon in more than one regard. if nixon hadnt built his career (with considerable support from the dragonlady herself) slamming the door on china, he wouldnt have been able to later take credit for opening it again. if sharon hadnt insisted on recklessly creating a photo-op in jerusalem during 2000, none of the resulting carnage would have occurred. if he hadnt derailed the process, there might likely be no need of a roadmap. their ruthless pursuit of power (sharon may not be directly or legally responsible for the dead and injured in his wake but he had to know what a firestorm he was igniting) is only one shared attribute. when sharon is booted out of office, therell be one more.

I'm kind of with Anthony on this, unless the Arab world has changed its position from "death of all Israel" which helped lead to the war that lead to the Israeli settlements in the first place. Have they accepted Israel yet?

Larry: as far as i understand it, it was not an offer by Sharon. what could Arafat do if Isreal would withdraw military and settlers from the Gaza strip? close to borders?
on world opinion: keep i mind this is still nothing more than a plan by Sharon. he still does not have support from his own party and will never get support from the religious fundamentalists in his coalition.
these countries really need a new generation of leaders. Isreal needs to give up all settlements and the Palestinians need to give up the right to return to Isreal. that was at least the opinion of two young Isrealis who just finished their military service i met on vacation. (they did not have much sympathy for the settlers) sounds so easy

If Sharon's plan refuses to acknowledge that the remianing land beliongs to Palestine (even if control take many decades to transfere) then it will be unacceptable. Imagine the reaction if Iraq had moved thousands of it's citizens into areas of Kuwait was condemned by the international community and then refused to return them because it's citizens were living there.

It would only be similar if Iraq never attacked Kuwait, but was being threatened into oblivion by Kuwait and the other countries surrounding Iraq, which then lead to a war where Iraq had to singlehandedly go against over eight other countries (when you include the ones that were supporting Egypt and the gang), and lead to Iraq winning the war and keeping some of the land from the countries that were doing all it could to destroy it. If that happened, I would completely support Iraq's right to keep the land.

As long as it is acknowledged that Israel taking land from those who were trying to destroy it is very different from Iraq invading Kuwait despite the lack of threat Kuwait posed, even if both actions are illegal.