MIDDLE EAST: There was little satisfaction expressed by ministers yesterday at the Israeli government's decision to accept the road map for peace. "This decision was taken with a heavy heart," said Foreign Minister, Mr Silvan Shalom. "This is a historical day, but not a day of joy," said Emigration Minister, Ms Tzipi Livni.
In trying to convince his hardline cabinet to vote in favour of the US-backed plan, at the six hour meeting, Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, is said to have told his ministers: "A Palestinian state is not my life's dream. But we cannot control 3.5 million Palestinians. It's not right and it's not justified."
At another point in the debate Mr Sharon turned to his ministers and said: "What do you want? For us to be in Jenin for an eternity?"
Some of the government ministers who voted in favour of the road map yesterday spoke behind the scenes of their conviction that militant Palestinian groups would torpedo the plan by continuing attacks.
Publicly, they pointed to Israel's relations with the US as their alibi. "I think the document is not a good one, but we have to choose when we battle the US, and now is not the time," said Industry and Trade Minister, Mr Ehud Olmert, of the Likud.
Among the four ministers who abstained was Finance Minister and former prime minister, Mr Benjamin Nethanyahu, who zig-zagged after a day earlier intimating he would oppose the road map.
In a pointed comment aimed at Mr Nethanyahu, but also for public consumption, Mr Sharon told his cabinet that any thoughts of extracting the Israeli economy from a protracted slump without a diplomatic process were a pipe-dream.
While the Prime Minister got the backing of the five ministers from the centre Shinui party, ministers from two far right parties voted against the plan, as did some members of Mr Sharon's Likud Party. Likud Minister, Mr Uzi Landau, referred to Washington's assurances that it would take into account Israel's reservations on the road map as a "sugar coated cyanide pill".
Jewish settler leaders pledged to topple the government. "This is a road map to \ elections," said one. But Mr Sharon's ruling coalition does not look in imminent danger of unravelling. While they vehemently oppose the plan, both far right parties, the National Union and the National Religious Party, possibly fearing the centre left Labour Party would join the government were they to vote, said they were staying put for now.
Much of the initial onus in the road map is on the Palestinians, who have to dismantle the armed militias operating in the West Bank and Gaza. Mr Sharon's critics say he will exploit this to ensure the road map is never implemented.
However, others point to recent remarks by the Israeli leader as indications of an ideological shift by the hawk ish, pro-settlement, Mr Sharon.
In an interview yesterday, the Israeli leader told the daily Yediot Ahranot that "the time had come to divide this piece of land between us and the Palestinians".
But despite yesterday's decision and his remarks to the media, it still remains unclear whether Mr Sharon is serious about the new peace plan or whether his actions are aimed at preserving Israel's relationship with the US.
In the past, the Israeli leader has made conciliatory statements, only to later backtrack.
However, Mr Sharon has intimated that he is ready to concede only some 50 per cent of the West Bank, with the remainder crucial to Israel's security.
This would leave the Palestinians with a truncated state made up of dislocated swathes of territory. That is a non-starter for any Palestinian.
Palestinian leaders welcomed Israel's acceptance of the plan, but reiterated their refusal to accept any alterations.