JERUSALEM, Jan. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli ultra-orthodox party United Torah Judaism (UTJ) decided Wednesday to join Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new coalition government, thus paving the way for Sharon to implement his Gaza pullout plan, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. 

   According to the decision, the party's membership in the coalition will be "conditional" for three months. During this time, UTJ's spiritual leader Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv will further decide
whether the party will remain in the coalition.

   UTJ's move will give Sharon's new coalition a parliamentary majority. In recent days, the prime minister said he would call for early elections if UTJ did not join the coalition.

   The Labor party has already agreed to enter Sharon's government last month. Along with Likud's 40 Knesset seats and Labor's 21, UTJ's five seats will give Sharon a majority in the 120-seat
parliament for the first time since early December, giving the premier a working majority to push both the disengagement plan and the 2005 state budget through parliament.

   Israeli ministers were scheduled to hold a key vote on the Gaza evacuation in March, but Sharon decided earlier this week to pull forward the date, saying Sunday he wanted a final decision at least five months before the operation begins in June.  Enditem