CRAWFORD,
Texas, April 12, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – US
President George W. Bush reiterated that Israel could keep the West
Bank settlements under its hands in any future peace deal with the
Palestinians, drawing fire from Palestinian officials as undermining
efforts to reach a meaningful peaceful agreement.
During
a joint press conference Monday, April 11, in his Texas ranch, Bush
voiced support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Gaza
withdrawal plan, praising Sharon for what he termed his “strong
visionary leadership”.
“As
I said last April, new realities on the ground make it unrealistic to
expect that the outcome of final-status negotiations will be a full
and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949,” Bush was quoted
by the Jerusalem Post as saying on the pastoral grounds outside
the guest house of his ranch.
“It
is realistic to expect that any final-status agreement will be
achieved only on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect
these realities. That is the American view,” Bush said.
“While
the US will not prejudice the outcome of final-status negotiations,
those changes on the ground, including existing major Israeli
population centers, must be taken into account in any final-status
negotiations.”
Referring
to large Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the Israeli Premier
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."
Palestinian
Anger
 |
|
Sharon
stressed that the major settlements in the West Bank will remain
in
Israel
’s hands. (Reuters)
|
Bush’s
reaffirmation concerning West Bank settlement blocs drew anger and
disappointment from Palestinian officials, according to Reuters.
“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.
Nabil
Abu Rudaina, a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, also
criticized any move to legitimize the Israeli settlement activities in
the occupied Palestinian territories.
“What
is needed now is to start to apply the road map. There is no need to
legitimize settlement activity, of whatever kind,” Abu Rudaina told
Agence France Presse (AFP).
Bush
had triggered Arab wrath by saying Palestinian refugees could not
return to land lost in 1948 and then exchanged with Sharon letters
cementing his position, in what has been dubbed as a
“Bushfour
Promise”.
No
Settlement Expansion
During
their press conference, Bush urged the Israeli Premier to halt plans
for settlement expansion in the West Bank, urging the Israeli
government not to take any move that contravenes its roadmap
obligations and prejudices the final status negotiations, AFP said.
“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. The roadmap
clearly says no expansion of settlements,” he said.
Bush’s
call for removing the Israeli authorized outposts was welcomed by
Palestinian officials.
“We
hope that Sharon will hear the appeal of President Bush to halt
settlement activity because to continue would mean destroying the
vision of two states,” chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat
said.
Palestinian
Deputy Prime Minister Nabil Shaath also said Bush’s comments (on
settlement expansions) showed he understood that settlement expansion
undermined the prospects of a “viable Palestinian state”.
“I
think that the president was quite positive and I think that he has a
real feeling of what’s important to keep this process going,”
Shaath told CNN.
The
expansion of Maale Adumim and the continued presence of the settlement
outposts was “a real threat to getting back to the peace process”,
Shaath added.
The
Palestinians fear Israeli plans to expand the Maale Adumim settlement
would largely cut off the West Bank, which would form the bulk of the
so-called viable Palestinian state, from east Jerusalem, which they
want as its capital.
