12/04/2005
Palestine Media Center – PMC

The Palestine National Authority (PNA) accused US President George W. Bush of “legitimizing” Israeli settlement activity and of losing his role as honest peace broker after he reiterated his guarantees to the Israeli premier that Washington will not support implementing the “roadmap” peace plan until Palestinians fulfill their “security” obligations, will not support Israel’s withdrawal to the 1967 borders and will support the annexation of illegal Israeli colonies to the Jewish state in a final settlement.

On Monday, Bush reiterated the guarantees he pledged to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on April 14 last year.

Palestinian Minister of Labor Hasan Abu Libdeh condemned Bush’s renewed pledges to Sharon as a policy that changes the role of the United States from an “honest peace broker” with the Palestinians into a “partner to Israel.”

“This American position gives an unequivocal message to the Palestinians that the United States still sees itself as a partner for Israel and Israeli interests rather than an honest broker,” Abu-Libdeh told Reuters.

In yet another show of support for Sharon’s leadership, Bush repeated a statement he first made last April that it is “unrealistic” to expect Israel to pull back to the borders that existed before the 1967 war.

Bush cited so-called “new realities on the ground.”

Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaineh similarly slammed Bush’s statement that it is “unrealistic” for Israel to withdraw to the 1949 borders as “legitimizing” the illegal Israeli settlement activities and said the final staus peace talks should start “without preconditions.”

“It is not permissible to legitimize any settlement activity or presence,” Abu Rudaineh said.

The Palestinian–Israeli final status negotiations “should start without preconditions,” he added.

“What is needed now is to start to apply the roadmap,” Abu Rudaineh told AFP.

On his part, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said that Bush’s statement on the “unrealistic” Israeli withdrawal to 1949 borders “contradicts the roadmap,” which “stipulates” that the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 must end, that final status negotiations should be resumed without preconditions and should not be prejudiced before they start.

However, Erakat welcomed Bush’s call on Israel to stop the expansion of settlements.

“I believe this is the key to everything,” Erakat said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “Failure to adhere to the president's call to stop all settlement activity literally means we will not be able to talk about the two-state solution, vision or no vision.”

Bush Supports Sharon’s ‘Security Approach’

At a joint news conference on Bush’s Texas ranch on Monday, the US President also adopted Sharon’s approach to the resumption of Palestinian–Israeli peace talks.

Despite his call on Sharon to commit to the UN-adopted “roadmap” peace plan, Bush urged the Palestinians to “combat terrorism in all its forms” at the same time Sharon was announcing that Israel would not move forward on the “roadmap” until Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did more to disarm anti-occupation groups and brought about what he called “a full cessation of terror, hostilities and incitement.”

“Only after the Palestinians fulfill their obligations, primarily a real fight against terrorism, and the dismantling of the infrastructure, can we proceed towards negotiations based on the roadmap,” Sharon said.

“We will continue with the negotiations only after Palestinians agree to stop the terror,” Sharon added.

Abu Rudaineh said that Sharon’s statement is another proof that Israel “is again looking for pretexts not to implement the roadmap.”

… And Adopts Sharon’s Gaza Plan

While affirming the internationally-drafted roadmap as “the only way forward,” Bush however strongly adopted Sharon’s unilateral plan to “disengage” Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and illegal Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip.

Bush seemed to be taking a strong line with Israel, calling on the US’ strategic ally to live up to its “roadmap” commitments and to halt plans to expand illegal settlements in the West Bank.

But Bush seemed to contradict himself when he backed Sharon’s unilateral plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip while supporting the roadmap, which does not encompass the disengagement plan.

As the two men stood side-by-side outside the US leader’s private ranch in Crawford, Texas, Bush praised Sharon for his “strong visionary leadership” in initiating the Gaza withdrawal, known as the “disengagement” plan.

“I strongly support his courageous initiative to disengage from Gaza and part of the West Bank,” he said.

“To me, that is where the attention of the world ought to be, on Gaza,” Bush said, adding, “This is the opportunity for the world to help the Palestinians stand up a peaceful society and a hopeful society.”

“We will work with our friends and allies around the world to keep their attention focused on succeeding on this, in helping Gaza become peaceful and a self-governing part of, eventually, a Palestinian state.”

Bush also pledged additional financial aid to Israel to carry out Sharon’s Gaza plan.

He said the United States would help Israel develop parts of the Negev desert and Northern Galilee where the Israeli Palestinians are mainly concentrated, and where Gaza settlers are expected to relocate.

The amount of aid was not disclosed, but earlier reports said Sharon intended to ask Bush for $500 million.

Israel has already budgeted $1 billion for the entire plan, which includes cash payments to the relocated settlers for lost homes and businesses.

Bush also urged the Palestinians to coordinate with Israel over the evacuation, which is due to start on July 20.

“The prime minister is willing to coordinate the implementation of the disengagement plan with the Palestinians. I urge the Palestinian leadership to accept his offer,” Bush said.

Israel Urged to Stop Expanding Settlements

Bush’s contradictory approach was highlighted when he urged Israel to freeze any expansion of its illegal colonies in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) while renewing his support for annexing the large blocs of these same colonies to the Jewish state in any final settlement with the Palestinians.

“I told the prime minister of my concern that Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes its roadmap obligations or prejudices final status negotiations,” Bush said.

“Therefore Israel should remove unauthorized outposts and meet its roadmap obligations regarding settlements in the West Bank,” he said, later driving the point home: “The roadmap clearly says no expansion of settlements.”

Bush was referring to more than 120 settler outposts that were erected allegedly without the authorization of the successive Israeli governments.

The dismantling of these outposts has been an overdue Israeli obligation since Sharon pledged to dismantle them during his summit meeting with the US President in April 2004.

On Monday, the Palestinian Cabinet of Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei welcomed Bush’s statement on the expansion of Israeli settlements.

Sharon Invites Bush to His Ranch

Sharon was making his 10th visit to the United States since Bush came to office in January 2001, but only his first trip to the US leader’s private ranch. Sharon also met Bush twice before he assumed power in Israel.

Standing under bright sunshine near a large cactus, the ground near them covered with bluebonnet flowers, Bush and Sharon talked outside a new one-story building that Bush uses as an office on his 1,700-acre (689-hectare) ranch. Afterward, Bush took Sharon on a tour of his ranch and they had lunch.

Sharon, who owns a farm in Israel, invited Bush to visit his ranch. “It’s something that I look forward to doing,” Bush said.