U.S. diplomats previously stopped short of endorsing last
month's surprise announcement from Sharon, a longtime champion
of settlements, because it raised concerns one-sided moves
could sink a U.S.-backed peace plan based on reciprocal steps.
But on Wednesday, a State Department official, who asked
not to be identified, said: "A final settlement between
Israelis and Palestinians must be achieved by negotiations and
neither side may impose final conditions on the other. But some
Israeli moves to 'disengage' by removing settlements could
reduce friction between Israelis and Palestinians."
Another State Department official said that by recognizing
the benefits of the Sharon move, diplomats now wanted to signal
that such measures were acceptable even if they did not fall
within the formal scope of the stalled U.S. "road map."
"We are trying to encourage any moves that are consistent
with the road map," the official said.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) has welcomed the
settlements pledge, which polls show a majority of Israelis
support.
Sharon wants to dismantle most enclaves in the Gaza Strip,
where 7,500 heavily guarded Jews live among 1.3 million
Palestinians. Critics have questioned whether Sharon is
serious, citing what they see as a wide gap between his policy
statements and his acts.
In another unilateral move, Israel has begun building a
barrier that snakes through the West Bank. The United States
has criticized the structure because it could establish a
permanent division without negotiations over where to draw the
borders of the two states envisioned in the road map.
The Bush administration, which is criticized by some for
favoring Israel, says Palestinians' failure to crack down on
militants attacking Israelis is the main reason its peace plan
has become stalled.
The road map outlines reciprocal steps that include Israel
freezing settlement activity, but it does not call for their
dismantling. Palestinians should also rein in militants as part
of the plan to defuse a 3-year-old uprising and establish a
Palestinian state alongside Israel.
