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America in the Middle East

Sharon: Bush failed to press Abbas on terror


By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
May 31, 2005

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Monday expressed disappointment US President George W. Bush had not demanded PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas immediately honor his commitment to dismantle the ?Palestinian? terrorist infrastructure when the two met last week.

Abbas came out of his meeting with Bush ?feeling no pressure to fight terror, and that

[the Palestinians] don't have to take immediate action,? Sharon told visiting members of the US House Appropriations Committee.

This despite the fact ?Palestinian? terror groups continue to plot and carry out attacks against Israeli Jews, the purported terrorist ceasefire notwithstanding.

Sharon complained to the congressmen that it was becoming increasingly difficult to convince Israelis of the benefits of withdrawing from Gaza and northern Samaria when they were receiving nothing but more terror in return from the ?Palestinian? side.

?The protest and objection to the disengagement in Israel is increasing, while public support for it is diminishing, because of the feeling that the terror is increasing, and that no action is being taken against it,? Ha'aretz quoted the prime minister as saying.

While Sharon tried to avoid directly criticizing Bush, he said Washington's push for PA ?democratic reforms cannot be a substitute for war on terror.?

Last week's meeting, however, left the PA with the impression ?there is no serious pressure now to act against terror? so long as it continued to ?act slowly [on the political front] and carry out reforms,? Sharon explained.

An Israeli diplomatic source told Ha'aretz Bush had in fact spoken harshly against terror behind closed doors, but agreed Abbas did not need to confront the issue until after the Palestinian Legislative Council elections.

Abbas recently postponed the PLC elections until September at the earliest, giving the terrorists at least three months to kill Israeli Jews without serious PA interference or US pressure.

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