The White House said on Sunday that President George W. Bush still supported Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan even after it was rejected by Sharon's Likud Party.

"We have been informed of the results of the Likud voting. Our own view has not changed: The president welcomed Prime Minister Sharon's plan to withdraw settlements from Gaza and a part of the West Bank as a courageous and important step toward peace," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in a statement.

"We will be in consultation with the prime minister and the government of Israel about how to move forward," McClellan said.

Bush announced his endorsement of the disengagement plan at a joint press conference with Sharon on April 14 when the Israeli prime minister visited the White House.

Moreover, Bush shocked the Arab world by saying that Israel could not be expected to give up all occupied Arab land or accept the return of Palestinian refugees to what is now the Jewish state.

Despite Bush's support, Sharon suffered an embarrassing defeat as his Likud Party overwhelmingly rejected his plan to pull out ofthe Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank in a referendum on Sunday.

A defiant Sharon, who has vowed not to resign, said he would consult with party and government officials on his next steps and suggested he would continue to push ahead with his plan.

Source: Xinhua