JERUSALEM - President Bush's strong endorsement Wednesday could give Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon the political cover he needs to push through his "disengagement plan," despite opposition from some in his Cabinet and his party.

Much of what Bush said has long been part of U.S. policy. It was nonetheless significant that an American president suggested Israel should be able to keep some West Bank settlements and say it was not realistic for Israel to absorb Palestinian refugees.

Bush's support may placate some reluctant hard-liners whose support Sharon needs to carry out his plan to pull out of settlements and military bases in the Gaza Strip and withdraw from some settlements in a small part of the West Bank.

Cabinet Minister Tsipi Livni, who has been undecided about the withdrawal scheme, said Wednesday night she would reluctantly support Sharon's plan as a result of Bush's statement.

Sharon, who is facing a corruption scandal that could lead to his own indictment, was badly in need of a strong endorsement from Bush to keep his plan on track.

The clock also is ticking towards a vote by the 200,000 members of Sharon's divided Likud party on whether to accept the withdrawal plan. Recent polls show the referendum, scheduled for May 2, could be close, and Sharon was counting on a hearty endorsement from Bush to overcome party stalwarts who have been the most ardent supporters of settlement building.

Bush called Sharon's proposal a "bold and courageous decision."

The strong words of support and the public endorsement gave Sharon ammunition to fight off his critics. Bush came down on Israel's side on the contentious issues of Palestinian refugees and major settlement blocs, putting in writing what has long been considered a realistic outcome of any negotiations on settlements and refugees.

His statement that such an agreement will have to take into account "already existing Israeli population centers" was the closest a U.S. president had ever come to legitimizing some Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Previous administrations had denounced settlements as "obstacles to peace."

"Tactically it was very, very important for Sharon," said David Kimche, a former director of Israel's Foreign Ministry. "What happened this evening will definitely help to swing votes in favor of the plan."

Despite the boost for Sharon, Bush's statement did nothing to further the overall U.S.-backed peace plan known as the road map or move the Israelis any closer to the negotiating table with the Palestinians.

"Does this get us any closer to peace or does it get Sharon closer to winning the referendum?" asked Akiva Eldar, political columnist for the daily Haaretz. "Maybe it's a service to Sharon, but it's not a service to peace."

Palestinians were predictably furious, not least of all because the withdrawal plan was being implemented without any Palestinian say.

"(Bush) is the first president who has legitimized the settlements in the Palestinian territories when he said that there will be no return to the borders of 1967," Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said. "We as Palestinians reject that, we cannot accept that, we reject it and we refuse it."