Israel "must take tangible steps to ease Palestinian suffering and reward progress towards peace by ending settlements in Palestinian lands," said Bush

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, May 10 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Unveiling an "ambitious" trade plan between the U.S. and the "reform-minded" Mideast countries, U.S. President George W. Bush proposed late Friday, May 9, creating a U.S.-Middle East free trade area in ten years, saying the venture would help end the Arab-Israeli conflict and curb terrorism.

During a commencement speech at the University of South Carolina, Bush also urged Israel to take "tangible steps now" to ease Palestinian suffering, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported Saturday, May 10.

"We have reached a moment of tremendous promise, and the United States will seize the moment for the sake of peace," he said.

Vowing to seize the "historic opportunity" afforded by the ouster of Saddam Hussein, Bush proposed "the establishment of a U.S.-Middle East free trade area within a decade, to bring the Middle East into an expanding circle of opportunity, to provide hope for the people who live in that region."

Bush’s call is similar to the one proposed by former Israeli foreign minister Shimon Perez in the wake of the 1993 Oslo accords.

Perez pressed for a new Middle East cooperation formula based on Israeli technologies and Arab capital, markets and cheap labor.

An aide to incumbent Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon and a former ambassador to Washington had said days before the collapse of the Iraqi regime that the accelerated developments in Baghdad and the envisaged ouster of Saddam Hussein would create a favorable atmosphere for a new Middle East that is more safer for Israel.

Washington is expected to tie the benefits of the proposed free trade area to fighting corruption and battling terrorism, as well as guaranteeing property rights and good business practices, according to U.S. officials.

The BBC's Rob Watson says that having used the stick of military action to promote democracy in Iraq, Bush is now dangling the carrot of free trade to advance greater freedoms in the rest of the Arab world.

But he adds the question remains as to whether Washington is really prepared to put pressure on its Arab allies to change and whether those allies would be receptive if it is.

"The Arab world has a great cultural tradition, but is largely missing out on the economic progress of our time," said Bush, noting that the Arab nations combined economies are "smaller than that of Spain."

CNN said Saturday that the Bush's plan is aimed primarily at forcing Mideast countries to drop their economic boycott of Israel.

A senior U.S. administration official, who requested anonymity, also said Middle East countries first must obtain membership in the World Trade Organization before the U.S. will consider talks on a bilateral free trade agreement, the Israeli Haaretz newspaper said Saturday.

Another official said the initiative could be extended to Iran, Syria and Libya, which are currently subject to U.S. economic sanctions.

"Not all countries are ready today to participate in this kind of engagement. Our hope is obviously the whole region will eventually be not only ready, but ... able to achieve this kind of objective," he said.

The United States has free trade accords with Israel and Jordan, and is seeking to wrap up negotiations on a similar agreement with Morocco by the end of the year.

Personal Commitment

Bush said that now that Saddam is out of power, and thanks to the efforts of leaders like Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, "the hope of peace is renewed." But he said all parties in the region "have duties."

"If the Palestinian people take concrete steps to crack down on terror, continue on a path of peace, reform and democracy, they and all the world will see the flag of Palestine raised over a free and independent nation," Bush said.

Israel "must take tangible steps to ease Palestinian suffering and reward progress towards peace by ending settlements in Palestinian lands," said the U.S. president, who received an honorary law degree from the university.

Israel's Arab neighbors, meanwhile, must battle terrorism and "recognize and state the obvious once and for all: Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state at peace with its neighbors," he said.

His comments came hours before U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell left for the region for talks with Israel and the Palestinians on implementing the "roadmap" plan to realize peace in the Middle East.

Powell "carries with him my personal commitment: America will work without tiring to achieve two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in security and prosperity and in peace," said the U.S. president.

On April 30, the roadmap was finally released to the Palestinian and Israeli premiers.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer presented a copy of the plan, drawn up by the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in occupied Jerusalem.

Other members of the international of the Quartet handed a copy of the document to new Palestinian Prime minister Mahmmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.