Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon managed to escape a defeat in the Knesset through turning the vote into a vote of confidence, affirming that disengagement is mostly presented to avoid political vacuum, and by avoiding to mention “painful concessions”. As a result, his disengagement plan passed by a single vote, 46-45.

Likud MK and coalition whip Gideon Sa’ar told Sharon that his coalition right wing partners, the National Union and the National Religious were planning to vote against the prime minister's statement, advising the Prime Minister to turn the vote into a vote of confidence in the government.

Sa’ar believed that the two right-wing coalition partners would not dare to vote against the government and would likely to absent themselves from the vote, thus ensuring the ruling coalition a majority.

As well, Sa'ar also advised Sharon to avoid statements that could anger the hawks in the Likud, epically to avoid mentioning intentions to evacuate settlements in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

After a speech in which he made no reference to “painful concessions”, Sharon announced that it would be a vote of confidence in the government.

Even as three of the Likud hawks chose to absence them selves, disengagement plan passed by a single vote, 46-45.

In his speech, Sharon emphasized the absence of a Palestinian leadership that is welling to fight terror, claiming that it will not be long before the world would realize that Israel had no true peace partner.

"It is clear that in this situation, there will not be negotiations with the Palestinians, and of course, there is no chance that they will be able to realize their political aspirations," Sharon said.

Sharon warned lawmakers that if the status quo continues and the road map collapses, the vacuum created would suck dozens of diplomatic initiatives, which will spring up all around the world, stressing the need for Israel to come up with its own alternatives to end the status quo.

Sharon told the Knesset panel that his disengagement plan had not been finalized. He promised that when the government decided on what steps to take, the plan would be brought to the Knesset for approval.

The Monday debate was initiated by the left wing Meretz faction, which collected the 40 MKs' signatures needed to require the prime minister to address the plenum.

Opposition leader MK Shimon Peres (Labor) attacked the government, accusing that it had no plan and “do not know what to do”.

Meretz MK Yossi Sarid called on Sharon "to tell us, just once, what lies behind all your talk."

Senior Labor MKs expressed disappointment over Peres speech, accusing that he refrained from attacking the Prime Minister and only directed his criticisms towards “the rejection front” around Sharon.

As presented, Sharon hopes for his disengagement plan to convince the world nations that there is no Palestinian partner to peace and accept that Palestinian national aspirations are not part of the solution to the Middle East crisis.

Whether to avoid a Knesset defeat, or wither it reflects the Israeli Prime minister intentions; it is more likely that disengagement is presented to avoid political negotiations.