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Peace Process

Bush: Palestine is upon us


By Ryan Jones
October 20, 2005

US President George W. Bush Thursday declared that the dream he shares with the Arab world of birthing a Muslim state on the ancient Jewish lands of Judea, Samaria and Gaza is closer to reality today than ever before.

He vowed to use America's considerable influence to help ?realize [that] shared vision.?

Speaking at a joint press conference in Washington, Bush heaped praise on visiting PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas, despite the latter's refusal to honor his primary peace commitment to disarm and dismantle anti-Jewish ?Palestinian? terrorist organizations.

For Israel he had a warning: You will be ?held to account? for any actions that hinder Washington's ?peace? efforts and burden the lives of the Palestinian Arabs.

Bush also admonished Abbas, telling him that ?the way forward is confronting the threat armed gangs present to the creation of a democratic Palestine.?

He said it is time for the Palestinian Authority to ?earn the confidence of its neighbors by rejecting and fighting terrorism.?

The tone of his remarks indicated the president had accepted Abbas' assertion that the Palestinian Arabs are ?committed to peace? and that his regime has already taken steps to impose the rule of law.

But Abbas made it clear his policies do not include the forced disarmament of those dedicated to Israel's demise.

?We are following a policy I believe is successful,? he said. ?All [terrorist] organizations accepted the [temporary truce].?

Likud MK and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuval Steinitz, however, warned that if Abbas did not act in accordance with signed agreements, he could find himself isolated in his Ramallah headquarters, like Yasser Arafat before him.

?Either he fights terror and disarms the organizations, or Israel will behave toward him as it did toward his predecessor and isolate him in the Muqata,? the Itim news agency quoted Steinitz as saying.

Steinitz reacted with fury to an editorial published earlier in the day that Abbas had penned for The Wall Street Journal, in which the Arab accused Israel of acting to strengthen the more radical elements of ?Palestinian? society in an effort to see his rule fail.

?It's clear that there is no end to audacity,? Steinitz said. ?The man who is personally making it possible for Hamas and the other terror organizations to hold onto their weapons and prepare for another round of bloodshed is accusing Israel of strengthening them.?

In the editorial, Abbas claimed to have created ?a climate of peace? since his assumption of power in January, and suggested the only thing preventing regional harmony were the obstacles ?Israel has created.?

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