Posted on 04/12/2005 5:49:49 AM PDT by SJackson
CRAWFORD, Texas — President Bush and Israeli Prime Minster Ariel Sharon pledged Monday to press for peace in the Middle East, yet Sharon adamantly resisted Bush's plea to refrain from settlement expansion in the disputed West Bank.
The highly public standoff between the two leaders centers on Sharon's intention of building new housing between Jerusalem and the community of Maale Adumim, the largest Israeli settlement in the West Bank.
Bush sternly calls the plan a violation of the "road map to peace" that Israeli and Palestinian leaders have embraced. Sharon calls it essential to ensuring that any lasting peace accord includes an Israeli map encompassing all of his nation's major population centers.
Palestinian leaders expressed satisfaction that Bush's emphasis on halting Israeli settlement expansion marked a departure from his strong support for Sharon's positions at a meeting a year ago. Then, Bush backed Sharon's view that Israel would retain large West Bank settlement blocs, saying that "new realities on the ground, including already-existing major Israeli population centers" have to be taken into account.
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said of Monday's meeting: "The most important thing was the call to stop settlement activity. I hope Mr. Sharon adheres to it. If he doesn't, there will be no point in talking about a two-state solution."
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
It's sadly ironic that the George W. Bush administration is the first American presidency to supercede the "land for peace" ideology with the notion that true peace in Israel will come from security, and not from surrender. On the other hand, this administration is really pushing Israel to surrender land to the Palestinian arabs for a new state.
I hope that the administration stays true to its ideology and does not force Israel to expel Jews and turn their homes over to Palestinians before there is an atmosphere of peace (other than in connection with the "disengagement" surrender program, which I see as a self-inflicted wound caused by Prime Minister Sharon).
It will, however, shore-up Sharon's support with the right-wing in Israel as he is seen standing up to Washington, while the Gaza pull-out goes forward.
Smart politics from both men.
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