Israeli voters deciding future of 39-year West Bank occupation

[norml]

Israeli voters deciding future of 39-year West Bank occupation
at 13:50 on March 28, 2006, EST.


JERUSALEM (AP) - Israelis voted Tuesday in an election billed as a referendum on the future of the West Bank, with the leading candidate, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, promising to pull back from most of the territory and draw Israel's final borders by 2010.

Barring an unexpected surge by hawkish parties, Israelis were expected to give a green light to Olmert's proposal to separate from most Palestinians after 39 years of military occupation.

About 47 per cent of the 4.5 million eligible voters had cast ballots by 11 a.m. EST, the Central Elections Committee said. That was about seven percentage points lower than at the same time in the 2003 national elections.

Analysts have said low turnout could hurt the prospects of Olmert's front-running Kadima party.

The election was held the same day the Palestinian parliament overwhelming approved the new Hamas cabinet, setting the stage for the new administration to take office later this week. Legislators belonging to the Islamic militant group chanted "God is great!" after the 71-36 vote. Two parliamentarians abstained.

Israel began the "disengagement" process last summer with its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, but Tuesday's vote marked the first time the leading candidate has laid out a concrete vision for the future of the West Bank.


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