JERUSALEM, 5 June 2004 — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fired two hard-line government ministers yesterday, trying to create a Cabinet majority for his Gaza withdrawal plan at the risk of tearing apart his coalition.

The dismissals, a turning point, cemented Sharon’s move to the political center after a career as a settler patron. But the political drama at times bordered on farce: One of the ministers went into hiding, preventing delivery of the dismissal letter and threatening to delay tomorrow’s Cabinet vote on the Gaza plan.

The firings only take effect 48 hours after they have been received in person, and Sharon won’t have a Cabinet majority for his Gaza plan until the two ministers from the National Union Party are formally dismissed.

Tourism Minister Benny Elon’s whereabouts remained a mystery at the onset of the Jewish Sabbath yesterday evening, though some reports said he had gone to a Gaza settlement. His party colleague, Transport Minister Avigdor Lieberman, also attempted to dodge the dismissal letter, but was tracked down at his gym.

Elon said he would do everything possible to evade Sharon’s messengers and scupper the vote. “He has not yet given me the letter and my dismissal has not yet taken effect,” he told Israel Radio.

A showdown was expected tomorrow morning.

Israel Radio said Elon intends to attend the Cabinet meeting. However, a government official said Elon “is not going to be at the meeting, he’s fired.”

Gaza settlers planned to surround the prime minister’s office tomorrow to rally opposition to Sharon.

Sharon, once the main builder of Jewish settlements, is now staking his credibility on removing all 21 settlements from the Gaza Strip.

“There is no other possibility. I have undertaken this mission and I will carry it out. I will put it through,” Sharon was quoted as saying in yesterday’s Maariv daily.

After nearly four years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, Sharon has concluded that there is no future for 7,500 Jewish settlers who live among 1.3 million Palestinians in the volatile Gaza Strip.

His plan calls for a pullout from Gaza and four settlements in the West Bank over four stages by the end of next year. Sharon wants to trade Gaza for the main settlement blocs in the West Bank, where most of the 230,000 Jewish settlers live.

“To continue investing money in places where it is clear that we were not going to remain is absurd,” Sharon told Maariv.

While opinion polls show a solid majority of Israelis support Sharon’s pullout plan, he has struggled to get it approved by his government.

Likud voters rejected the plan in a party referendum last month, and efforts to reach a compromise with hard-line ministers have fizzled.

With the dismissals of the National Union, Sharon now appears to have a majority in his Cabinet. But even if he wins approval next week, the growing rift between Sharon and the hard-liners could bring down his government.

Another pro-settler faction, the National Religious Party, has threatened to quit if Sharon dismissed the National Union.

Sharon said in an interview with the Yediot Aharonot daily that he would like the opposition Labour Party to join his coalition if his current government falls apart.