PALESTINE : SHARON IN TEXAS BUSHESMonday April 11 2005- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is landing in Texas today to meet President Bush in his ranch in Crawford, TX. This is the eleventh time the two leaders meet together since they both came to power in 2001. This meeting will be, however, a bit different from the others both because of the less-official location and because of the different diplomatic strategy the United States has been pursuing since Yassir Arafat died and Abbas replaced him.
George W.Bush built the “road map” plan to peace between Palestine and Israel along with the United Nations, Russia and the European Union in order to estabilish a peaceful situation among the two countries. Things started to go better since Mahmoud Abbas, or Abu Mazin as he is known by Palestinians, began a serious talk with the resistance fighters and their organizations in the West Bank. Recent events made the entire world think about the corruption and obscure ways of the Arafat political team. The Abbas government has made so much progress in the last months that it’s clear the previous cabinet did not have a “sincere” inclination towards peace.
Today’s meeting between Sharon and Bush will be focused on the road map plan. There is an expansion project that Israel is preparing which involves the creation of a new “corridor” toward Jerusalem that Sharon wants to build. A new Jewish settlement of about 3,500 houses in the area of Maale Adumim.
This project is not of course welcomed by the rest of the politicians involved in this International Relations affair. President Bush himself recently “suggested” to Sharon to "adhere to those roadmap obligations".
These obligations are roughly the following: Israel must dismantle its illegal settlements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip while freezing every military activity to retire completely from the occupied territories within the next year. Palestine on its side must make every effort to begin talks with organized resistance movements to prevent any form of violence towards the Jewish settlements in these areas.
Sharon is having problems within his own Likud Party and between Israeli people for the decision he made to dismantle 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank this summer. Israeli police had to clash with Ultra-Nationalist protesters in Jerusalem as they were opposing the decision made by Sharon to quit from the Gaza Strip. But from Sharon’s point of view, the creation of a new “corridor” to link Jerusalem with Israel is a political reward both for his people and for his cabinet.
Recent violent episodes that erupted between Palestine and Israel were a serious threat to the road map itself. Three Palestinian teenagers were shot dead while trying to retrieve a football in the southern Gaza Rafah Refugee camp on Saturday. Israeli military claimed in a statement that they were instead “smuggling weapons” from the Syrian border.
On the other side, mortar shells were fired by Palestinian fighters toward Jewish towns in Israel.
"The firing [of the mortars] was a flagrant violation of the understanding achieved at Sharm al-Shaikh and it will be a central issue to be raised in my talks with President Bush," is the comment that Sharon made regarding the rockets launched by the Palestinian fighters over the week-end. (al-Jazeera)
Some Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that "They [Palestinian Fighters] are pointing a gun to [Abbas'] head," and "Abbas is weak. He needs assistance, but you can only help someone who helps himself,"
These two episodes were cerntainly the main reason why Bush and Sharon are now in discussions at the Crawford ranch. They also were the first serious violent clashes since the meeting at Sharm al-Shaikh in February, when Arab World leaders met to discuss common policy.
Ariel Sharon also met with US Secretary of State Condooleza Rice and according to al-Jazeera, Israeli officials expect Bush to reiterate the concept of a full adherence to the road map, implying no possibilities for the Maale Adumim’s project.
Shimon Peres, Israeli Vice-Premier, told the press, "until the end of the Gaza process, I think we should not be making more problems."
As Saib Uraiqat, Chief Palestinian Negotiator, said to al-Jazeera ; "With no doubt, Sharon's visit to the United States is very important." The Israeli Prime Minister will try to convince Bush of the fact that Abbas did not do what he was expected to do, and that he was not able to control the Palestinian Resistance Movement to stop its violent activity. Sharon will also probably point out that fact that the Maale Adumim settlement will be vital for the Israeli people.
Uraquait is also afraid that "Sharon intends to cancel the issues of Jerusalem, the refugees and the borders. This will put us in a new transitional stage by considering a state with temporary borders," because, as he says this "This will lead to an endless crisis."
The pull-out of the Israeli army from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip scheduled for this summer will have a high cost that the United States is likely to pay, according to the BBC. To withdraw 8,000 Jewish people and the troops that are defending them from the Gaza Strip, plus another 4 settlements from the West Bank will be expensive. Israel needs economic help from the United States and that will probably be ensured by the Bush administration.
According to CNN, an Indiana Republican, Mr.Lugar, said that the US’ support to dismantle these settlements is undeniable but at the same time they must "affirm our need to proceed on the road map," and he also declared, "Our involvement there with the president tomorrow is extremely important," as well as "I hope there's follow-through now of really very successful, intensive United States diplomacy to help both parties."
Former Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh told CNN, "I don't think he [Sharon] profoundly believes in a two-state solution, but he understands in the current situation he cannot have both the West Bank and Gaza."
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Il Romanaccio at 3:40 PM
