US MediationIsrael and Palestine
The US would like to believe it is fair and balanced and a fair broker for the conflict. Most of the rest of the world, and especially the Arab street, see things otherwise. Why? What do do we say and do to promote that view? Do we even recognise that we do it?
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
U.S. Does Not Expect Israeli Settlement Response Yet: US turns sequential
Excite - News: "U.S. Does Not Expect Israeli Settlement Response Yet Sep 23, 2:04 am ET
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Monday he did not expect the Israeli government to respond to U.S. pressure on West Bank settlements until the Palestinian Authority cracks down on militants.
In an interview with the Charlie Rose Show, Powell sympathized with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on the settlement question, saying it would be almost impossible for an Israeli leader to appear to be yielding to U.S. pressure.
Critics of U.S. and Israeli policy say that, on the contrary, Israel should stop work on settlements in the West Bank now because they do not contribute to Israeli security and antagonize the Palestinians who live in the territories.
The international community considers the settlements illegal but Israel disputes this. The United States once said they were illegal [for 25+ years] but now calls them unhelpful."
..
[Roadmap text: Settlements · GOI immediately dismantles settlement outposts erected since March 2001. · Consistent with the Mitchell Report, GOI freezes all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements). ed.]
[The Roadmap becomes sequential as desired by Sharon, backed up by the US. ed.]
Excite - News: "U.S. Does Not Expect Israeli Settlement Response Yet Sep 23, 2:04 am ET
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Monday he did not expect the Israeli government to respond to U.S. pressure on West Bank settlements until the Palestinian Authority cracks down on militants.
In an interview with the Charlie Rose Show, Powell sympathized with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on the settlement question, saying it would be almost impossible for an Israeli leader to appear to be yielding to U.S. pressure.
Critics of U.S. and Israeli policy say that, on the contrary, Israel should stop work on settlements in the West Bank now because they do not contribute to Israeli security and antagonize the Palestinians who live in the territories.
The international community considers the settlements illegal but Israel disputes this. The United States once said they were illegal [for 25+ years] but now calls them unhelpful."
..
[Roadmap text: Settlements · GOI immediately dismantles settlement outposts erected since March 2001. · Consistent with the Mitchell Report, GOI freezes all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements). ed.]
[The Roadmap becomes sequential as desired by Sharon, backed up by the US. ed.]
In a gaffe, Powell also called the United States a Judeo-Christian country
Haaretz Article: "Powell: PA must crack down before Israel curbs settlements By Haaretz Service and Agencies Tuesday, September 23, 2003
...
In a gaffe, Powell also called the United States a Judeo-Christian country on Monday but quickly amended that to 'a country
of many faiths'.
...
During the public television interview, speaking about Washington's vision of what kind of government Iraq should have, Powell said he expected it to be "an Islamic country by faith, just as we are a Judeo-Christian..."
"Well, it's hard to tell any more, but we are a country of many faiths now," he added quickly.
The remark was seen likely to antagonize millions of American Muslims, most of whom want to be included in the mainstream.
Haaretz Article: "Powell: PA must crack down before Israel curbs settlements By Haaretz Service and Agencies Tuesday, September 23, 2003
...
In a gaffe, Powell also called the United States a Judeo-Christian country on Monday but quickly amended that to 'a country
of many faiths'.
...
During the public television interview, speaking about Washington's vision of what kind of government Iraq should have, Powell said he expected it to be "an Islamic country by faith, just as we are a Judeo-Christian..."
"Well, it's hard to tell any more, but we are a country of many faiths now," he added quickly.
The remark was seen likely to antagonize millions of American Muslims, most of whom want to be included in the mainstream.
Monday, September 15, 2003
For Palestinians, death is often 'Made in USA'
Daily Herald: "For Palestinians, death is often 'Made in USA' Daily Herald Reports Posted 9/15/03
There is an old saying in American politics: 'Does it play in Peoria?' What that means is that if the people of the city of Peoria, a typical Midwest American town, accept something, then it will be accepted nearly everywhere else.
...
Caterpillar plows are used to rip up roads, farmlands, olive and orange groves owned by Palestinians, ripping apart their lives. And they proudly carry the label "Made in the USA" in nice big letters.
The list of Israel's weapons of massive destruction that carry the label "Made in the USA" is huge.
The missiles Israel fires at Palestinian civilians, destroying their homes and ripping the men, women and children into shards of bloodied pulp, are "Made in the USA."
Preceding nearly every major Palestinian suicide bomb attack against Israelis have been massive attacks by the Israeli military. The Palestinian victims are blown to pieces. More often than not, they are innocent civilians who either were living in the apartment buildings hit or just happened to live nearby.
The blood is everywhere, except on American TV news reports. No one in America seems to care about the Palestinians the way they care about the Israelis. And yet, it is America that makes these weapons.
The F-16 warplanes Israel uses to fire the missiles that kill the Palestinians are "Made in the USA" as are the Apache helicopters used repeatedly since the infamous Israeli assault on Bethlehem in April 2002. Hundreds of innocent civilians died during those attacks.
The tear gas fired at Palestinians is also "Made in the USA," by American workers at Federal Laboratories, which is owned by TransTechnologies in Sherman Oaks, Calif.. ...
The guns and the bullets are also "Made in the USA."
Daily Herald: "For Palestinians, death is often 'Made in USA' Daily Herald Reports Posted 9/15/03
There is an old saying in American politics: 'Does it play in Peoria?' What that means is that if the people of the city of Peoria, a typical Midwest American town, accept something, then it will be accepted nearly everywhere else.
...
Caterpillar plows are used to rip up roads, farmlands, olive and orange groves owned by Palestinians, ripping apart their lives. And they proudly carry the label "Made in the USA" in nice big letters.
The list of Israel's weapons of massive destruction that carry the label "Made in the USA" is huge.
The missiles Israel fires at Palestinian civilians, destroying their homes and ripping the men, women and children into shards of bloodied pulp, are "Made in the USA."
Preceding nearly every major Palestinian suicide bomb attack against Israelis have been massive attacks by the Israeli military. The Palestinian victims are blown to pieces. More often than not, they are innocent civilians who either were living in the apartment buildings hit or just happened to live nearby.
The blood is everywhere, except on American TV news reports. No one in America seems to care about the Palestinians the way they care about the Israelis. And yet, it is America that makes these weapons.
The F-16 warplanes Israel uses to fire the missiles that kill the Palestinians are "Made in the USA" as are the Apache helicopters used repeatedly since the infamous Israeli assault on Bethlehem in April 2002. Hundreds of innocent civilians died during those attacks.
The tear gas fired at Palestinians is also "Made in the USA," by American workers at Federal Laboratories, which is owned by TransTechnologies in Sherman Oaks, Calif.. ...
The guns and the bullets are also "Made in the USA."
Carter: The United States is not being evenhanded ... I don't think [Arafat] has ever had control over Hamas
Excite News: "Carter Prods Bush on Mideast Peace Plan Sep 15, 4:32 PM (ET) By BARRY SCHWEID
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration must push harder - and be evenhanded - to revive sagging peace hopes in the Middle East, former President Carter said Monday.
In an Associated Press interview 25 years after the Camp David accords, Carter said Israel and the Palestinians had not only abandoned the U.S.-backed road map for peace but had violated it - Israel by threatening the 'removal' of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. He suggested the Bush administration was tilted toward Israel.
"At this point, prospects are dismal," Carter said. "The U.S. does not seem to be making any strong effort to implement" the road map outlined by President Bush, and the other parties to the blueprint - the United Nations, the European Union and Russia - are not very involved, he said.
...
"You have to let the Palestinians know we are representing their key interests," and you have to let the Israelis know the same, Carter said.
"The United States is not being evenhanded," Carter said by telephone from his home in Plains, Ga. "You have to have a mediator, willing to negotiate freely with both sides, and equally firmly with both sides."
...
Carter stressed that he was not criticizing Bush. The president has so many foreign policy problems on his desk, including Iraq, Iran and North Korea, "it is not possible for him to devote the time and attention to the Mideast peace process that would be required," Carter said.
"I won't have any criticism of him," Carter said. "If I was in his place, I could not spend 13 days in isolation" at Camp David with the Iraelis and Palestinians.
...
Israel's official decision to "remove" Arafat, which Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suggested Sunday might mean killing, exile or isolation, also drew strong criticism from Carter.
"It just sends a wave of increasing animosity not only through the Palestinians but the entire world," he said. "That statement and others are totally contrary to the position of the U.S. government, as well. The road map is supposed to preclude exile."
Arafat could be a stronger leader, and more forceful in his condemnation of the violent attacks on Israel by Hamas and other groups, Carter said.
...
"But I don't think he has ever had control over Hamas," the extremist Palestinian group that has struck Israel with terror attacks, Carter said of Arafat. "And I presume Hamas leaders will not accept his authority."
Arafat is sealed off by Israel in his battered West Bank headquarters, Carter noted. "I don't think he is in charge of everything among the Palestinians," he said.
Excite News: "Carter Prods Bush on Mideast Peace Plan Sep 15, 4:32 PM (ET) By BARRY SCHWEID
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration must push harder - and be evenhanded - to revive sagging peace hopes in the Middle East, former President Carter said Monday.
In an Associated Press interview 25 years after the Camp David accords, Carter said Israel and the Palestinians had not only abandoned the U.S.-backed road map for peace but had violated it - Israel by threatening the 'removal' of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. He suggested the Bush administration was tilted toward Israel.
"At this point, prospects are dismal," Carter said. "The U.S. does not seem to be making any strong effort to implement" the road map outlined by President Bush, and the other parties to the blueprint - the United Nations, the European Union and Russia - are not very involved, he said.
...
"You have to let the Palestinians know we are representing their key interests," and you have to let the Israelis know the same, Carter said.
"The United States is not being evenhanded," Carter said by telephone from his home in Plains, Ga. "You have to have a mediator, willing to negotiate freely with both sides, and equally firmly with both sides."
...
Carter stressed that he was not criticizing Bush. The president has so many foreign policy problems on his desk, including Iraq, Iran and North Korea, "it is not possible for him to devote the time and attention to the Mideast peace process that would be required," Carter said.
"I won't have any criticism of him," Carter said. "If I was in his place, I could not spend 13 days in isolation" at Camp David with the Iraelis and Palestinians.
...
Israel's official decision to "remove" Arafat, which Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suggested Sunday might mean killing, exile or isolation, also drew strong criticism from Carter.
"It just sends a wave of increasing animosity not only through the Palestinians but the entire world," he said. "That statement and others are totally contrary to the position of the U.S. government, as well. The road map is supposed to preclude exile."
Arafat could be a stronger leader, and more forceful in his condemnation of the violent attacks on Israel by Hamas and other groups, Carter said.
...
"But I don't think he has ever had control over Hamas," the extremist Palestinian group that has struck Israel with terror attacks, Carter said of Arafat. "And I presume Hamas leaders will not accept his authority."
Arafat is sealed off by Israel in his battered West Bank headquarters, Carter noted. "I don't think he is in charge of everything among the Palestinians," he said.
Monday, September 08, 2003
US president has allowed himself to be comprehensively bamboozled by Ariel Sharon
Guardian Unlimited | World dispatch | Bush just doesn't get it | The US president has allowed himself to be comprehensively bamboozled by Ariel Sharon, says Simon Tisdall. Peace is as far away as ever Thursday July 31, 2003
...
... But there are three basic grounds for challenging Mr Bush's rosy judgment.
The first cause for concern arises from the sight of Mr Sharon, standing alongside the US leader, reiterating in uncompromising terms his preconditions for negotiations on the fundamental issues that separate the two peoples.
If anything, Mr Sharon hardened his position. He made no mention, as he has in the past, of Israel's acceptance of a future Palestinian state; he made no reference, as before, to the unsustainability of the occupation of Palestinian land; and perhaps most ominously of all, he omitted all direct reference to the "road map".
...
Mr Sharon is asking for the impossible, as he must know very well. For the second reason for challenging Mr Bush's optimistic assessment is that Mr Abbas has neither the political nor military power to satisfy these Israeli demands at this stage, even if he were fully minded to do so.
...
Mr Abbas is already accused by some of his own people of collaborating with the Israelis, of being a dupe or a stooge...
...
But when Mr Sharon in Washington went on to defy the US president, to his face, over Israel's construction of the West Bank security wall, and to ignore the road map's requirement for a freezing of settlement activities, Palestinian suspicions that he is engaged in the old game of talking peace while seizing more and more Palestinian land understandably deepen.
...
Mr Bush himself is the third reason why optimism seems misplaced at the end of this week's talks.
He says things are moving forward quickly. But he ignores the fact that he wasted two years after he came into office, during which time the conflict grew ever more embittered and entrenched. ... But in reality, they are massively distracted by Iraq, where problems mount, and by broader domestic controversies that are building as the US election year approaches."
...
Mr Bush also seems quite happy to be almost blatantly bamboozled by Mr Sharon, who is a much more wily and subtle politician that the former Texas governor will ever be accused of being. The Israeli leader must be privately delighted to have a US counterpart who is so easy to handle.
The way Mr Sharon flatters him so outrageously suggests just a smidgin of an older man's condescension.
But Mr Bush's biggest blind spot stems not from his vanity, but from his utter, simplistic determination to cast the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the fundamental, black and white, for-us-or-against-us terms of his "war on terror".
...
... Before our eyes, the fragile hope of peace is being dissipated. But the US president, now off on holiday to his ranch in Texas, does not seem to realise it.
Guardian Unlimited | World dispatch | Bush just doesn't get it | The US president has allowed himself to be comprehensively bamboozled by Ariel Sharon, says Simon Tisdall. Peace is as far away as ever Thursday July 31, 2003
...
... But there are three basic grounds for challenging Mr Bush's rosy judgment.
The first cause for concern arises from the sight of Mr Sharon, standing alongside the US leader, reiterating in uncompromising terms his preconditions for negotiations on the fundamental issues that separate the two peoples.
If anything, Mr Sharon hardened his position. He made no mention, as he has in the past, of Israel's acceptance of a future Palestinian state; he made no reference, as before, to the unsustainability of the occupation of Palestinian land; and perhaps most ominously of all, he omitted all direct reference to the "road map".
...
Mr Sharon is asking for the impossible, as he must know very well. For the second reason for challenging Mr Bush's optimistic assessment is that Mr Abbas has neither the political nor military power to satisfy these Israeli demands at this stage, even if he were fully minded to do so.
...
Mr Abbas is already accused by some of his own people of collaborating with the Israelis, of being a dupe or a stooge...
...
But when Mr Sharon in Washington went on to defy the US president, to his face, over Israel's construction of the West Bank security wall, and to ignore the road map's requirement for a freezing of settlement activities, Palestinian suspicions that he is engaged in the old game of talking peace while seizing more and more Palestinian land understandably deepen.
...
Mr Bush himself is the third reason why optimism seems misplaced at the end of this week's talks.
He says things are moving forward quickly. But he ignores the fact that he wasted two years after he came into office, during which time the conflict grew ever more embittered and entrenched. ... But in reality, they are massively distracted by Iraq, where problems mount, and by broader domestic controversies that are building as the US election year approaches."
...
Mr Bush also seems quite happy to be almost blatantly bamboozled by Mr Sharon, who is a much more wily and subtle politician that the former Texas governor will ever be accused of being. The Israeli leader must be privately delighted to have a US counterpart who is so easy to handle.
The way Mr Sharon flatters him so outrageously suggests just a smidgin of an older man's condescension.
But Mr Bush's biggest blind spot stems not from his vanity, but from his utter, simplistic determination to cast the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the fundamental, black and white, for-us-or-against-us terms of his "war on terror".
...
... Before our eyes, the fragile hope of peace is being dissipated. But the US president, now off on holiday to his ranch in Texas, does not seem to realise it.
Powell says West Bank barrier hampers peace plan
Powell says West Bank barrier hampers peace plan Friday August 1, 6:43 PM By Matt Spetalnick
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Friday Israel's security barrier in the West Bank could undermine a peace 'road map', as Israeli troops fired rubber bullets at protesters trying to cut part of the fence.
Powell's comments, published in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, followed U.S. President George W. Bush's failure in talks on Tuesday to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to stop building the barrier.
Underscoring Palestinian anger stirred by the issue, several hundred protesters trying to breach the fence near the West Bank town of Tulkarm clashed with Israeli soldiers, witnesses said. "
Powell says West Bank barrier hampers peace plan Friday August 1, 6:43 PM By Matt Spetalnick
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Friday Israel's security barrier in the West Bank could undermine a peace 'road map', as Israeli troops fired rubber bullets at protesters trying to cut part of the fence.
Powell's comments, published in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, followed U.S. President George W. Bush's failure in talks on Tuesday to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to stop building the barrier.
Underscoring Palestinian anger stirred by the issue, several hundred protesters trying to breach the fence near the West Bank town of Tulkarm clashed with Israeli soldiers, witnesses said. "
Bush does about face on security fence -- to the Palestinians' fury
Economist.com | Israelis and Palestinians | Taking offence over a fence |
Jul 31st 2003
In their Washington talks, President George Bush failed to deter Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, from continuing to build a security fence in the West Bank --to the Palestinians' fury
THE talks that President George Bush held on Tuesday July 29th with the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, and four days earlier with the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, made meagre progress on such urgent issues as the release of Israeli-held prisoners and the dismantling of Palestinian militant groups. All the talks apparently achieved was to highlight yet another threat to the Middle East peace process: the security fence that Israel is building, carving chunks out of the West Bank. Palestinians had been encouraged when, after meeting Mr Abbas, Mr Bush publicly criticised the fence, calling it a 'problem' and saying it was an obstacle to building confidence between the two sides. But then, to their anger, Mr Sharon came out of his meeting with Mr Bush insisting he would press on with building the fence. All Mr Bush managed to extract from him was a promise to try to minimise its impact on Palestinians. "
Economist.com | Israelis and Palestinians | Taking offence over a fence |
Jul 31st 2003
In their Washington talks, President George Bush failed to deter Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, from continuing to build a security fence in the West Bank --to the Palestinians' fury
THE talks that President George Bush held on Tuesday July 29th with the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, and four days earlier with the Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, made meagre progress on such urgent issues as the release of Israeli-held prisoners and the dismantling of Palestinian militant groups. All the talks apparently achieved was to highlight yet another threat to the Middle East peace process: the security fence that Israel is building, carving chunks out of the West Bank. Palestinians had been encouraged when, after meeting Mr Abbas, Mr Bush publicly criticised the fence, calling it a 'problem' and saying it was an obstacle to building confidence between the two sides. But then, to their anger, Mr Sharon came out of his meeting with Mr Bush insisting he would press on with building the fence. All Mr Bush managed to extract from him was a promise to try to minimise its impact on Palestinians. "
Could have been a turning point if President Bush wanted one
Pleading for the right to babble By Gideon Samet Ha'aretz - Article Wednesday, July 30, 2003
This round in Washington is going to end nearly like all the previous ones. A summary can be typed ahead of time. A little hint of dispute, and a lot of public understanding between the Israeli and American leaders. There's always some punch line by a spinner, whether local or distant. This time it is: 'There's no separation fence between Bush and Sharon.' Hats off to the creative flack.
But walls aren't built with blurring and babbling. The visits this week could have been a turning point if President Bush wanted one. It didn't happen, and it is very possible that there won't be as good an opportunity that was missed in the foreseeable future.
If Bush had wanted, he would have demanded disciplined behavior from both sides according to a detailed timetable."
Pleading for the right to babble By Gideon Samet Ha'aretz - Article Wednesday, July 30, 2003
This round in Washington is going to end nearly like all the previous ones. A summary can be typed ahead of time. A little hint of dispute, and a lot of public understanding between the Israeli and American leaders. There's always some punch line by a spinner, whether local or distant. This time it is: 'There's no separation fence between Bush and Sharon.' Hats off to the creative flack.
But walls aren't built with blurring and babbling. The visits this week could have been a turning point if President Bush wanted one. It didn't happen, and it is very possible that there won't be as good an opportunity that was missed in the foreseeable future.
If Bush had wanted, he would have demanded disciplined behavior from both sides according to a detailed timetable."
Sharon beats Abbas in battle for Bush
Analysis: Sharon beats Abbas in battle for Bush By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz - Article Wednesday, July 30, 2003
The clear impression from the White House press conference held by George Bush and Ariel Sharon on Tuesday is that the U.S. president accepted the Israeli prime minister's argument that the primary issue is the dismantling of armed groups by the Palestinian Authority.
In other words, Bush did not accept the argument put forward by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud (Abu Mazen), at their meeting last Friday, that he cannot move against groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, because this would precipitate a civil war.
This is a clear indication that Bush is not prepared to get into a confrontation with Sharon, and that what is uppermost on his mind now, are electoral concerns. A recent poll showed his approval rating to be at its lowest since Sept. 11.
...
Sharon succeeded in tying Bush into the terror agenda, whereas Abu Mazen had tried to tie him into an agenda of occupation, but failed. ...
Bush also did not mention the dismantling of illegal outposts in the West Bank. ... Bush said the fence was a
"sensitive" issue, but he did not call it a "wall" or "a problem," like he did in his press conference with Abu Mazen.
The bottom line coming out of the press conference is that the onus is on the Palestinians, and any gains Abu Mazen thinks he might have made in his meeting with Bush, have not held up even for a week. "
Analysis: Sharon beats Abbas in battle for Bush By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz - Article Wednesday, July 30, 2003
The clear impression from the White House press conference held by George Bush and Ariel Sharon on Tuesday is that the U.S. president accepted the Israeli prime minister's argument that the primary issue is the dismantling of armed groups by the Palestinian Authority.
In other words, Bush did not accept the argument put forward by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud (Abu Mazen), at their meeting last Friday, that he cannot move against groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, because this would precipitate a civil war.
This is a clear indication that Bush is not prepared to get into a confrontation with Sharon, and that what is uppermost on his mind now, are electoral concerns. A recent poll showed his approval rating to be at its lowest since Sept. 11.
...
Sharon succeeded in tying Bush into the terror agenda, whereas Abu Mazen had tried to tie him into an agenda of occupation, but failed. ...
Bush also did not mention the dismantling of illegal outposts in the West Bank. ... Bush said the fence was a
"sensitive" issue, but he did not call it a "wall" or "a problem," like he did in his press conference with Abu Mazen.
The bottom line coming out of the press conference is that the onus is on the Palestinians, and any gains Abu Mazen thinks he might have made in his meeting with Bush, have not held up even for a week. "
Bush Backs Sharon, Angers Palestinians Jul 30, 2003 7:48 AM (ET) By STEVE WEIZMAN Excite News
President Bush has given visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon broad support on key issues, backing off from overt criticism of a West Bank security fence and disappointing Palestinians in the process.
...
Bush said Israel must consider the consequences of its actions on the peace process, but Israeli and U.S. officials said the comment was a general one, not linked to any specific issue.
Palestinians were unsettled by Tuesday's White House talks.
...
"The Bush statement reflects the total bias of the United States in favor of the Zionist enemy," Rantisi told the AP, "and it reflects also the failure of Prime Minister Abbas' visit."
President Bush has given visiting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon broad support on key issues, backing off from overt criticism of a West Bank security fence and disappointing Palestinians in the process.
...
Bush said Israel must consider the consequences of its actions on the peace process, but Israeli and U.S. officials said the comment was a general one, not linked to any specific issue.
Palestinians were unsettled by Tuesday's White House talks.
...
"The Bush statement reflects the total bias of the United States in favor of the Zionist enemy," Rantisi told the AP, "and it reflects also the failure of Prime Minister Abbas' visit."
Bush: "I think that you can [help Palestinian security] and I think that you will"
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | 'The real obstacle to peace is not terror, but sabotage by Sharon-backed army' |
Chris McGreal in Gaza City |Friday June 20, 2003
...
Mr Dahlan gave a five-minute synopsis of the Palestinian view of the security situation and the difficulties he faces because the Israelis have destroyed much of the Palestinian security infrastructure. At the end of the briefing, Gen Mofaz, jumped in. "Well, they won't be getting any help from us; they have their own security service," he said. Mr Bush turned on Gen Mofaz."Their own security service? But you have destroyed their security service," he said. Gen Mofaz remained firm. "I do not think that we can help them, Mr President," he said. Mr Bush replied: "Oh, but I think that you can and I think that you will." A similar confrontation followed with Mr Sharon.
Towards the end of the summit, Mr Bush is reported to have told Condoleezza Rice, his national security adviser, that he liked and trusted Mr Abbas and Mr Dahlan but Mr Sharon was "a problem".
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | 'The real obstacle to peace is not terror, but sabotage by Sharon-backed army' |
Chris McGreal in Gaza City |Friday June 20, 2003
...
Mr Dahlan gave a five-minute synopsis of the Palestinian view of the security situation and the difficulties he faces because the Israelis have destroyed much of the Palestinian security infrastructure. At the end of the briefing, Gen Mofaz, jumped in. "Well, they won't be getting any help from us; they have their own security service," he said. Mr Bush turned on Gen Mofaz."Their own security service? But you have destroyed their security service," he said. Gen Mofaz remained firm. "I do not think that we can help them, Mr President," he said. Mr Bush replied: "Oh, but I think that you can and I think that you will." A similar confrontation followed with Mr Sharon.
Towards the end of the summit, Mr Bush is reported to have told Condoleezza Rice, his national security adviser, that he liked and trusted Mr Abbas and Mr Dahlan but Mr Sharon was "a problem".
Colin Powell said the killing of a Hamas leader by Israel could set back the Road map
Powell: Israeli Attack Could Slow Peace Jun 22, 9:38 AM (ET) By GEORGE GEDDA Excite News
SOUTHERN SHUNEH, Jordan (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday the killing of a Hamas leader by Israel could set back the U.S.-backed peace initiative for the region.
Powell said he was concerned about Saturday's shooting by the Israeli army of Abdullah Kawasme in the West Bank town of Hebron, but the U.S. official stopped short of condemning the act because he lacked details.
Powell has said Israel is justified in going after 'ticking bombs' - militants preparing to commit a terrorist act. On the other hand, he has said Israel should show restraint in situations that do not meet that criteria. "
Powell: Israeli Attack Could Slow Peace Jun 22, 9:38 AM (ET) By GEORGE GEDDA Excite News
SOUTHERN SHUNEH, Jordan (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday the killing of a Hamas leader by Israel could set back the U.S.-backed peace initiative for the region.
Powell said he was concerned about Saturday's shooting by the Israeli army of Abdullah Kawasme in the West Bank town of Hebron, but the U.S. official stopped short of condemning the act because he lacked details.
Powell has said Israel is justified in going after 'ticking bombs' - militants preparing to commit a terrorist act. On the other hand, he has said Israel should show restraint in situations that do not meet that criteria. "
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Sharon sticks to script in front of Bush - but the backtracking has already begun |
Palestinians hope US keeps up pressure as Israeli leader clarifies his commitment | Chris McGreal in Aqaba |
Thursday June 5, 2003
Ariel Sharon spent months trying to avoid yesterday's summit with George Bush designed to launch the US-led 'road map' for the creation of a Palestinian state. The Israeli prime minister persuaded the US president to delay publication of the document three times, and cancelled a trip to Washington last month ostensibly because of a new wave of terror.
But yesterday he was forced to read the script the White House all but wrote for him by committing himself not only to the creation of a Palestinian state but one that is viable and contiguous and not squeezed between those individual Jewish settlers determined to claim every hilltop as Israeli land.
Mr Sharon fell short on only one count - he refused to say that it would be independent.
...
In a bizarre twist, the Israeli prime minister's office issued what amounted to a clarification of his speech before he even made it by saying that when he referred to a Palestinian state he meant one that was demilitarised and that would be the only home [implies he denies any right of return. Ed.]for the Palestinian diaspora.
...
Mr Sharon's office also went on to say that by "viable" he meant an "interim" state
...
...was Mr Bush serious about confronting a reluctant Israeli prime minister?
...
"We are hoping that the role of the US will be to correct the imbalance of power between a very strong Israel and a very weak Palestine. We are now confident that Bush is serious."
...
A crucial first step was Mr Sharon's commitment yesterday after months ... But the real test will be whether he also prevents new outposts being thrown up or uses the inevitable confrontations with rightwing settlers, who are already calling Mr Sharon "a traitor", as a pretext to draw out the process.
...
Yet just a few weeks ago the Israeli administration evidently felt confident that a mix of hawks in the Bush administration, the mobilisation of support in Congress, and next year's election in the US, would contain White House pressure for Mr Sharon to commit himself to the peace process. "
Sunday, September 07, 2003
Sharon rejects US pressure on settlements
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Sharon rejects US pressure on settlements | Israel will not surrender sovereignty of Jewish towns to Palestinian state, PM warns before Washington talks on Middle East peace deal | Chris McGreal in Jerusalem | Wednesday May 14, 2003
Ariel Sharon has rebuffed American warnings that the continued expansion of settlements is a major obstacle to a Middle East peace deal by saying that Israel will not surrender sovereignty of Jewish towns in the occupied territories.
The prime minister further aggravated the issue by saying that the controversial 'security fence' being constructed around the main Palestinian cities and towns on the West Bank will follow a route that in effect annexes some of the largest settlements into Israel.
Mr Sharon's comments to the Jerusalem Post reflect off-the-record remarks from his allies dismissing the US secretary of state Colin Powell's failed attempts this week to secure more than a lip service commitment to the 'road map' which envisages a Palestinian state by 2005.
The Israeli leader's statements come a week before he visits the White House for talks that are expected to provide the crucial test of how serious the Bush administration is about pushing the road map. "
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Sharon rejects US pressure on settlements | Israel will not surrender sovereignty of Jewish towns to Palestinian state, PM warns before Washington talks on Middle East peace deal | Chris McGreal in Jerusalem | Wednesday May 14, 2003
Ariel Sharon has rebuffed American warnings that the continued expansion of settlements is a major obstacle to a Middle East peace deal by saying that Israel will not surrender sovereignty of Jewish towns in the occupied territories.
The prime minister further aggravated the issue by saying that the controversial 'security fence' being constructed around the main Palestinian cities and towns on the West Bank will follow a route that in effect annexes some of the largest settlements into Israel.
Mr Sharon's comments to the Jerusalem Post reflect off-the-record remarks from his allies dismissing the US secretary of state Colin Powell's failed attempts this week to secure more than a lip service commitment to the 'road map' which envisages a Palestinian state by 2005.
The Israeli leader's statements come a week before he visits the White House for talks that are expected to provide the crucial test of how serious the Bush administration is about pushing the road map. "
First Jews settle in Palestinian Jerusalem even after Condoleezza Rice asked him not to
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Jews settle in Palestinian Jerusalem | Sharon tests Bush, Blair and the road map by letting families occupy contested district | Chris McGreal in Jerusalem | Monday April 7, 2003
Ariel Sharon has brushed aside an appeal by the White House to stop an unprecedented move by Jewish settlers into a Palestinian district of Jersualem which his critics say will further hinder a political settlement.
After more than two years of legal and political wrangling, Mr Sharon's office approved the plan last week and the first Jewish families have moved into new flats in the Ma'aleh Ha'zeitim settlement, beside the densely populated Arab district of Ras al-Amoud.
It is the first time a Jewish settlement has been built in a Palestinian area of Jerusalem since Israel seized control of the entire city in 1967.
...
"This is not something Sharon turned a blind eye to. This is something he gave the go ahead for even after Condoleezza Rice asked him not to," he said.
...
"The timing of this action raises the suspicion that the government intends to enable this underhanded opportunism that they hope will go unnoticed in the international community, to exploit a situation that holds disastrous implications for the area," he said.
Eyal Hareuveni, director of the Jerusalem branch of Peace Now, said: "This is a settler group, extremists who want to transfer the Arabs [out of their homeland].
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Jews settle in Palestinian Jerusalem | Sharon tests Bush, Blair and the road map by letting families occupy contested district | Chris McGreal in Jerusalem | Monday April 7, 2003
Ariel Sharon has brushed aside an appeal by the White House to stop an unprecedented move by Jewish settlers into a Palestinian district of Jersualem which his critics say will further hinder a political settlement.
After more than two years of legal and political wrangling, Mr Sharon's office approved the plan last week and the first Jewish families have moved into new flats in the Ma'aleh Ha'zeitim settlement, beside the densely populated Arab district of Ras al-Amoud.
It is the first time a Jewish settlement has been built in a Palestinian area of Jerusalem since Israel seized control of the entire city in 1967.
...
"This is not something Sharon turned a blind eye to. This is something he gave the go ahead for even after Condoleezza Rice asked him not to," he said.
...
"The timing of this action raises the suspicion that the government intends to enable this underhanded opportunism that they hope will go unnoticed in the international community, to exploit a situation that holds disastrous implications for the area," he said.
Eyal Hareuveni, director of the Jerusalem branch of Peace Now, said: "This is a settler group, extremists who want to transfer the Arabs [out of their homeland].
Thursday, September 04, 2003
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Bush strategy aimed at bringing Palestine into house of compliant Arab states
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Bush strategy aimed at bringing Palestine into house of compliant Arab states | David Hirst in Beirut Wednesday June 26, 2002
...
To whatever camp they belong - be they "moderates" or "radicals", as the US classifies them - the whole Arab world cannot but regard Bush's policy pronouncement as perhaps the most dramatic display so far of his administration's incorrigible partisanship.
"Blind support for Israel", trumpeted one Beirut newspaper; "Sharonian in letter and spirit," said another, "amounting to a US green light for Israel to upgrade its aggression against the Palestinians to include Lebanon and Syria too."
As they see it, by imposing such stringent, indeed impossible, conditions on the Palestinians and none that really mean anything on Israel, Bush has virtually given Sharon a free hand to press on with objectives that have now become open and undisguised: reoccupy the West Bank, bury the Oslo accords, and replace the Palestinian Authority with a puppet administration in nominal control of at most 42% of the West Bank. "
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Bush strategy aimed at bringing Palestine into house of compliant Arab states | David Hirst in Beirut Wednesday June 26, 2002
...
To whatever camp they belong - be they "moderates" or "radicals", as the US classifies them - the whole Arab world cannot but regard Bush's policy pronouncement as perhaps the most dramatic display so far of his administration's incorrigible partisanship.
"Blind support for Israel", trumpeted one Beirut newspaper; "Sharonian in letter and spirit," said another, "amounting to a US green light for Israel to upgrade its aggression against the Palestinians to include Lebanon and Syria too."
As they see it, by imposing such stringent, indeed impossible, conditions on the Palestinians and none that really mean anything on Israel, Bush has virtually given Sharon a free hand to press on with objectives that have now become open and undisguised: reoccupy the West Bank, bury the Oslo accords, and replace the Palestinian Authority with a puppet administration in nominal control of at most 42% of the West Bank. "
Wednesday, September 03, 2003
He [Sharon] learned that "yes, but" is much more effective than "no, but," ...
The only vote that counts is George Bush's -- Ha'aretz - Article By Akiva Eldar, Monday, January 27, 2003
...
There's no better proof of this than the document prepared last month with Sharon's reservations about the last version of the "road map," slated for President Bush's desk.
No wonder Sharon keeps the document deep inside the vault. In effect, it is the trap he is laying for the "peace camp." The list of reservations turns the "road map" into another meaningless piece of paper, destined for the same ending Sharon prepared for the Mitchell recommendations and the Tenet working plan.
....
To avoid revealing to the Israeli public the huge gap between him and the Quartet, Sharon asked for and received from Bush a postponement until after the elections.
The only vote that counts is George Bush's -- Ha'aretz - Article By Akiva Eldar, Monday, January 27, 2003
...
There's no better proof of this than the document prepared last month with Sharon's reservations about the last version of the "road map," slated for President Bush's desk.
No wonder Sharon keeps the document deep inside the vault. In effect, it is the trap he is laying for the "peace camp." The list of reservations turns the "road map" into another meaningless piece of paper, destined for the same ending Sharon prepared for the Mitchell recommendations and the Tenet working plan.
....
To avoid revealing to the Israeli public the huge gap between him and the Quartet, Sharon asked for and received from Bush a postponement until after the elections.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Leader: Vacuum not vision: "Vacuum not vision
George Bush squanders his moment -- Leader -- Wednesday June 26, 2002 -- The Guardian
George Bush's statement on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict cannot accurately be termed a new policy. Nor is it a plan in any meaningful sense, certainly not a substitute for the Oslo process. It does not even furnish a road-map towards the longed-for ceasefire and a resumed dialogue. Mr Bush's speech does not represent the long-awaited, post-Clinton re-engagement of the US in Middle East mediation. On the contrary, by making a series of impracticable and unrealistic demands of the Palestinians while accepting without question the numbingly destructive policies of Ariel Sharon's government, it ends any remaining pretence of US impartiality."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | The solution is the problem: "The solution is the problem
The US presents itself as the peace-broker in the Middle East. The reality is different
Noam Chomsky ... Saturday May 11, 2002
Shlomo Ben-Ami wrote that "the Oslo agreements were founded on a neo-colonialist basis, on a life of dependence of one on the other forever". He soon became an architect of the US-Israel proposals at Camp David in 2000, which kept to this condition. At the time, West Bank Palestinians were confined to 200 scattered areas. Bill Clinton and Israeli prime minister Barak did propose an improvement: consolidation to three cantons, under Israeli control, virtually separated from one another and from the fourth enclave, a small area of East Jerusalem, the centre of Palestinian communi-cations. The fifth canton was Gaza. It is understandable that maps are not to be found in the US mainstream. Nor is their prototype, the Bantustan "homelands" of apartheid South Africa, ever mentioned.
It repeats the basic terms of a security council resolution of January 1976 which called for a political settlement on the internationally recognised borders "with appropriate arrangements ... to guarantee ... the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of all states in the area". This was backed by virtually the entire world, including the Arab states and the PLO but opposed by Israel and vetoed by the US, thereby vetoing it from history. Similar initiatives have since been blocked by the US and mostly suppressed in public commentary"
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Sharon puts Washington on the spot: "Sharon puts Washington on the spot
US blocked UN mission, says Israeli leader
Julian Borger in Washington
Wednesday May 8, 2002
The Guardian
The Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, went out of his way to embarrass the divided US administration yesterday, openly thanking the Americans for scuttling the proposed UN investigation of Palestinian deaths in the West Bank town of Jenin. "
Ha'aretz - Article: "Wednesday, May 01, 2002
Letter to America
...
You surely noticed how the Israeli media described the president's demand as unprecedented pressure
...
This is a regrettable continuation of your policies of the past year. Emissaries of the greatest power in the world left here with their heads hanging
...
We need your help, America, just as you need regional calm for your own purposes.
Dear America, for God's sake, get moving, before it gets worse, much worse, over here.
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Bush's peacemaker was unloaded: "The pretence of peacemaking
Washington must accept its share of the blame for Colin Powell's abortive Middle East peace mission, writes Simon Tisdall
Thursday April 18, 2002
Colin Powell was at pains to place a positive spin on his Middle East mission at a final press conference in Jerusalem. But there was no disguising the fact that his high-profile foray on to the frontlines of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had achieved little or nothing - and no hiding his relief to be heading home
...
It was an initiative that could not succeed because Mr Powell did not have the wholehearted backing of his boss - and Mr Sharon knew it."
