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Peace Process

Heavy US pressure expected after pullout


By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
May 30, 2005

US President George W. Bush last week again belied the premise that withdrawing from Gaza and northern Samaria would lessen international pressure on Israel when he promised PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas he would soon demand further Israeli concessions.

Senior diplomatic sources told Ha'aretz that during his meeting with Abbas at the White House Thursday, Bush promised to apply increased pressure on Israel to destroy over 100 Jewish outposts in Judea and Samaria if the PA showed progress towards democratic and security reforms.

The leftist daily noted the Bush Administration had refrained from bringing up the issue until now so as not to obstruct Sharon's planned Gaza-Samaria retreat.

While Israel has agreed to remove ?unauthorized? outposts, Jerusalem insists the PA first fulfill its decade-old commitment to disarm and and dismantle the ?Palestinian? terrorist infrastructure.

Bush did urge Abbas to combat terror, but seemed more focused on making sure the PA became a successful example of his pet project of spreading democracy in the Middle East, even when Abbas made clear Hamas would be a key player in that democracy.

Hamas is recognized the world over as a terrorist organization, and Bush told reporters following the meeting that he continues to view it as such.

But despite Abbas's open acceptance of and willingness to share power with a known terrorist organization, there was no indication Bush plans to hold to stated US policy and relate to the PA as a terrorist entity for the association.

A day earlier, PA Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa said Bush could forget about his plans for the Middle East unless he ensured ?Palestinian? demands vis-a-vis their conflict with Israel were satisfied.

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