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Mavdog · 04-13-2004, 11:30 AM

This is not a positive position to take if Sharon truly wants to reach agreement with the Palestinians. In that Sharon has been an advocate of the expansion of settlements in occupied territory I am not too surprised, but disappointed.
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U.S.-Bound Sharon Vows to Keep W.Bank Settlements
By Jeffrey Heller

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) vowed Israel would keep major settlements in the West Bank "for all eternity" before flying to Washington Tuesday to secure U.S. approval for a unilateral pullout from the Gaza Strip (news - web sites).

"I have a good feeling," Sharon said on departure, alluding to his "disengagement" plan, which Palestinians say is a ruse to strip them of land in the West Bank that they want for a viable state outlined in a U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan.

The Palestinians, who want to end Israel's 1967 occupation of both the West Bank and Gaza, said furiously that Sharon's remarks effectively ruled out any treaty under the road map, to which President Bush (news - web sites) reaffirmed his commitment.

"With such a (statement), Sharon is destroying any hope for peace between the two peoples," moderate Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie told reporters in Ramallah Tuesday.

Sharon, speaking Monday at the biggest West Bank settlement, Maale Adumim, which alone has four times as many Jews as in Gaza, named settlements to "remain under Israeli control, that will continue to grow stronger and develop."

He mentioned Maale Adumim and Givat Zeev, on the fringes of Jerusalem, Ariel in the central West Bank, the Etzion bloc near Bethlehem, and the southern city of Hebron where 400 ultra-nationalist Jews live amidst 120,000 Palestinians.

He told the settlers their homes would "continue to be built as part of Israel, for all eternity."

There are some 230,000 settlers and 2.3 million Palestinians in the West Bank. Gaza is home to 1.3 million Palestinians and 7,500 settlers in a smattering of isolated, fortified enclaves.

Sharon repeated Israel's determination to retain Arab East Jerusalem, seized along with Gaza and the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians want it for their capital.

Sharon needs Bush's endorsement for his Gaza evacuation plan to see off strong opposition from settlers and rightist supporters in his Likud party opposed to ceding any land.

To help win over Bush, five unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank will be torn down this week, a senior political source close to Sharon told Reuters. Removing the scores of hilltop caravan outposts is a requirement of the road map, which has been derailed by violence and mutual non-compliance.

PALESTINIANS ANGRY, BUSH CAUTIOUS
Qurie said: "What he (Sharon) said before he went to Washington is rejected, rejected, rejected. We appeal to the United States not to prejudice final-status negotiations."

Sharon was heading to a White House meeting with Bush at which Israeli sources said they expected a deal signaling that Israel would not have to cede all of the West Bank under any future peace agreement.

But Bush, after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (news - web sites) in Texas Monday, appeared more cautious. He welcomed any Israeli pullout from Gaza but said it would not supersede the road map.

"If he were to decide to withdraw, it would be a positive development," Bush told reporters at his ranch. "We are both in agreement that if Israel makes a decision to withdraw, it doesn't replace the road map."

That plan envisions a Palestinian state co-existing in peace with Israel. But Sharon says he sees no negotiating partner because of a Palestinian failure to stop suicide attacks and other violence against Israelis, another road map condition.

A key referendum of Likud members on quitting Gaza set for April 29 has been put off to May 2 to avoid coinciding with a European basketball playoff final in Tel Aviv, the party said.

Israeli media said aides had advised Sharon the basketball tourney might keep pullout proponents away from the referendum because they are seen as less ideological and inclined to vote. (Additional reporting by Mohammed Assadi in Ramallah, Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Jeremy Pelofsky in Crawford, Texas)

04-13-2004, 11:30 AM	#1
Mavdog Diamond Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 6,014	Is Sharon dooming any Treaty? This is not a positive position to take if Sharon truly wants to reach agreement with the Palestinians. In that Sharon has been an advocate of the expansion of settlements in occupied territory I am not too surprised, but disappointed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S.-Bound Sharon Vows to Keep W.Bank Settlements By Jeffrey Heller TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) vowed Israel would keep major settlements in the West Bank "for all eternity" before flying to Washington Tuesday to secure U.S. approval for a unilateral pullout from the Gaza Strip (news - web sites). "I have a good feeling," Sharon said on departure, alluding to his "disengagement" plan, which Palestinians say is a ruse to strip them of land in the West Bank that they want for a viable state outlined in a U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan. The Palestinians, who want to end Israel's 1967 occupation of both the West Bank and Gaza, said furiously that Sharon's remarks effectively ruled out any treaty under the road map, to which President Bush (news - web sites) reaffirmed his commitment. "With such a (statement), Sharon is destroying any hope for peace between the two peoples," moderate Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie told reporters in Ramallah Tuesday. Sharon, speaking Monday at the biggest West Bank settlement, Maale Adumim, which alone has four times as many Jews as in Gaza, named settlements to "remain under Israeli control, that will continue to grow stronger and develop." He mentioned Maale Adumim and Givat Zeev, on the fringes of Jerusalem, Ariel in the central West Bank, the Etzion bloc near Bethlehem, and the southern city of Hebron where 400 ultra-nationalist Jews live amidst 120,000 Palestinians. He told the settlers their homes would "continue to be built as part of Israel, for all eternity." There are some 230,000 settlers and 2.3 million Palestinians in the West Bank. Gaza is home to 1.3 million Palestinians and 7,500 settlers in a smattering of isolated, fortified enclaves. Sharon repeated Israel's determination to retain Arab East Jerusalem, seized along with Gaza and the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move not recognized internationally. Palestinians want it for their capital. Sharon needs Bush's endorsement for his Gaza evacuation plan to see off strong opposition from settlers and rightist supporters in his Likud party opposed to ceding any land. To help win over Bush, five unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank will be torn down this week, a senior political source close to Sharon told Reuters. Removing the scores of hilltop caravan outposts is a requirement of the road map, which has been derailed by violence and mutual non-compliance. PALESTINIANS ANGRY, BUSH CAUTIOUS Qurie said: "What he (Sharon) said before he went to Washington is rejected, rejected, rejected. We appeal to the United States not to prejudice final-status negotiations." Sharon was heading to a White House meeting with Bush at which Israeli sources said they expected a deal signaling that Israel would not have to cede all of the West Bank under any future peace agreement. But Bush, after meeting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (news - web sites) in Texas Monday, appeared more cautious. He welcomed any Israeli pullout from Gaza but said it would not supersede the road map. "If he were to decide to withdraw, it would be a positive development," Bush told reporters at his ranch. "We are both in agreement that if Israel makes a decision to withdraw, it doesn't replace the road map." That plan envisions a Palestinian state co-existing in peace with Israel. But Sharon says he sees no negotiating partner because of a Palestinian failure to stop suicide attacks and other violence against Israelis, another road map condition. A key referendum of Likud members on quitting Gaza set for April 29 has been put off to May 2 to avoid coinciding with a European basketball playoff final in Tel Aviv, the party said. Israeli media said aides had advised Sharon the basketball tourney might keep pullout proponents away from the referendum because they are seen as less ideological and inclined to vote. (Additional reporting by Mohammed Assadi in Ramallah, Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Jeremy Pelofsky in Crawford, Texas)