Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today (Apr 29, 2004) said that the referendum on his "disengagement" plan was a vote of confidence in his leadership and warned the ruling Likud party members that rejecting the plan would be a victory for PA chairman Yasser Arafat and Hamas.

With three days left for the scheduled referendum on Sunday (Mar 2, 2004), Sharon for the first time publicly declared the poll a vote of confidence in his leadership.

"Anyone who believes in me must vote for the disengagement. You can't play around on this matter ... You can't be for me but against the plan I am promoting," he told public and military radio.

While Sharon's associates have been declaring the referendum a vote of confidence in Sharon for days, this is the first time Sharon has said so himself, without threatening to resign if the plan fails to pass.

Wary over the large gathering on Independence day in the settlement of Gush Katif in Gaza Strip and the systematic campaign launched by his opponents in the party, he said "I will win, I do not even want to think about the alternative. If I do not win, this will be the biggest victory for PA chairman Yasser and Hamas."

"I will win, I am certain that the extreme-right will not succeed this time in toppling a Likud Government. Disengagement is good and important for Israel," he said.

Hoping that the Likud voters will certainly realize their responsibility as members of the largest party in Israel, Sharon also warned that if the plan is defeated, "it will worsen our relations with the US and bring about the fall of the Likud, which is the extreme right's plan".