Israeli cabinet member Natan Sharansky handed in his resignation notice to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday in protest of Sharon's planned unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip later this summer.

Sharansky, the former Soviet dissident, objected to what he called a lack of linkage in the Gaza withdrawal plan to reforms in Palestinian society.

Sharansky said, 'The only real reason for the government's existence now is disengagement,' to the exclusion of almost all other business, adding, 'It's why I feel I cannot stay there and must resign.'

Presently, Sharansky is the minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora affairs. Because of his past as a Soviet dissident who fought for his right to emigrate to Israel, Sharansky has commanded respect and influence throughout the world. Even President Bush cited one of Sharansky’s books, 'The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny & Terror' as an influence on his own foreign policy.

But the 57-year-old Sharansky feels that the unilateral nature of the Gaza withdrawal, planned for this summer, will hurt Israel in the long run.

'All my experience and my understanding says that the plan is wrong,' he said. 'It will not bring peace. It will bring an increase of terror. It will weaken the democratic forces in Palestinian society.'

According to Sharansky, disengagement between Israelis and Palestinians, a cornerstone of Sharon's anti-terrorism policies, is not the right solution. 'Their problems are our problems,' Sharansky said once of the Palestinians, arguing that everything must be done to promote democracy in the territories.

'The free world must do everything it can to improve the lives of Palestinians,' Sharansky said. He feels important issues the world must encourage the Palestinians towards include a free press and economy, new textbooks that do not promote anti-Semitism or hatred of Israel, building new and better homes to replace refugee camps and dismantling terrorist organizations. Then Israel can make concessions without fear.

Sharansky is not finished with politics. He said he will continue to work in Likud politics and have more chances to voice his opinions and work towards his goals.

'My voice is often believed to be naïve, or ridiculous or harmful,' he freely conceded. But now, he said, 'I'll have more opportunities to explain what I believe in public without restrictions, and I and my friends have a strong position in Likud, and we can work also in the party.'

Mr. Sharon indicated he accepted Sharansky’s resignation with regret. 'I would like to express my appreciation to Natan, not for his resignation -- I would be happy if he continued his role -- but I'd like to thank him and praise him for his work on the issues he was in charge of,' Sharon said. “I think he has done an extraordinary job with regard to progress with the treatment of anti-Semitism, on a global scale, and I believe his contribution in that area is large,' the prime minister added.