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Peace Process

Analysis: Misreading Washington, again


By Ryan Jones
August 22, 2005

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon continues to assert that the removal of Jewish life from Gaza and northern Samaria is going to result in intense US pressure on the Palestinian Arabs to fulfill their peace obligations.

He also sees the dawn of greater diplomatic freedom for Israel to secure its hold on Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.

Last week, at the height of Israel's painful process of expelling Jews from their homes, US Secretary of State Condoleezza, in PLO-like fashion, stated that Gaza was not the only sacrifice Israel would have to make for ?peace.?

Sharon, however, interpreted Rice's words to mean the Gaza withdrawal was just the first step in re-energizing the stagnant Israeli-Arab peace process, the next step being the PLO's long-overdue elimination of anti-Jewish Islamic terror.

Rice ?expressed the hope, which we share, that after the implementation of the disengagement plan, the momentum will continue and conditions for progress according to the Road Map will be created,? Sharon was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post.

According to the prime minister, Rice made it clear the ball is now in the PA's court, and that PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas is expected to reciprocate by disarming and dismantling groups such as Hamas.

What Rice in fact told her New York Times interviewers, however, is that the continued momentum everyone says they are hoping for needs to be fed by additional Israeli concessions, like removing security measures in the ?West Bank.?

Washington's primary focus is going to continue to be US national interests, which at this time consist of mending America's image in the Middle East by overseeing a final Israeli-PLO peace deal.

The Bush Administration understands well enough it will be unable to attain that goal if it pushes the recalcitrant and still deeply terror-tainted PLO too much over the issue of curbing the slaughter of Jewish men, women and children.

And so, while the US may, despite public objections, overlook the Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria Sharon claims he has license to renew, it will do the same for ongoing PLO non-compliance on its commitment to end terror.

The problem for Israel is that while Washington's current under-the-table understanding for Jewish building in those biblical lands simply means more houses will go up on what is now barren land, its failure to demand compliance by the PLO will mean more dead Jews.

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