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WRAPUP 4-Bush cautions Sharon over settlement growth
11 Apr 2005 22:03:53 GMT
Source: Reuters
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(Adds Bush, Sharon comments, Palestinian reaction) By Adam Entous CRAWFORD, Texas, April 11 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday against West Bank settlement expansion but Sharon made no firm commitments and said peace talks with Palestinians would not proceed until they fought terrorism. Bush had promised to press Sharon publicly and privately to stop expanding the settlements and said he told Sharon at his ranch of his concern "Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes 'road map' (peace plan) obligations or prejudices final status negotiations." "Therefore, Israel should remove unauthorized outposts and meet its 'road map' obligations regarding settlements in the West Bank," Bush told an outdoor news conference with Sharon at his ranch. "That's no expansion of settlements." He made clear he was counting on Israel's Gaza withdrawal to revive the U.S.-backed peace plan and end "skepticism" about its prospects. Palestinians voiced anger and disappointment afterward at Bush's reaffirmation that Israel should be able to keep some West Bank settlement blocs under a future peace deal. "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," Cabinet Minister Hassan Abu-Libdeh told Reuters. As Bush and Sharon met, Palestinian militants renewed mortar barrages against Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip after a weekend of violence triggered by Israel's killing of three unarmed Palestinian youths in disputed circumstances. It appeared the two leaders agreed to disagree on the issue at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as Sharon sent conflicting signals about abiding by the road map's call for a halt to Israeli "settlement activity." Referring to large Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Sharon said, "It is the Israeli position that the major Israeli population centers will remain in Israel's hands under any future final status agreement," adding "with all related consequences." Sharon did not back down in the face of U.S. concerns over an Israeli plan for the construction of 3,500 homes for Israelis in a narrow corridor between the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim and Jerusalem. Sharon said of Maale Adumin, "It'll be part of Israel." He sought to reassure Bush no new building work was imminent, saying it "might take many years" before contiguity was achieved between the settlement and the holy city. DENYING HINT OF DISCORD Palestinians fear the Maale Adumim extension would largely cut off the West Bank, which would form the bulk of a viable state they seek, from the eastern Arab part of Jerusalem, which they want as its capital -- a demand Israel rejects. Bush and Sharon appeared together on a bright spring day, standing next to a cactus surrounded by Texas bluebonnet wildflowers. The nearby town of Crawford threw out the welcome mat by flying Israeli flags. Both sides sought to play down any hint of discord. Sharon, speaking to reporters after his talks with Bush, denied there was any crisis over the settlement issue and that Washington's long-standing opposition to Israeli building in occupied land was well-known. "There isn't even a smidgen of confrontation," Sharon said. "We expressed our views," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "Israel has certain views when it comes to settlements." The ranch meeting, Sharon's first, was designed to bolster his standing before the July pullout from all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza. Bush urged the Palestinian leadership to accept the prime minister's offer to coordinate the withdrawal. Sharon laid down a stern marker to the Palestinians for the resumption of talks under the road map, saying Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas must stop militants who have been launching mortar attacks on Israeli settlements. "Only after the Palestinians fulfill their obligations, primarily a real fight against terrorism and the dismantling of its infrastructure, can we proceed toward negotiations based on the road map," he said. Bush said Abbas had taken some positive steps, but he demanded "an immediate, strong and sustained effort to combat terrorism." Abbas has been invited to the White House but no date has been set. Bush acknowledged "there's just not a lot of confidence in either side" despite the recent election of Abbas. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland in Crawford, Jeffrey Heller in Waco, Matt Spetalnick in Jerusalem and Wafa Amr in Ramallah)
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