U.S. Sticking to Bush Assurances to Sharon

U.S. Sticking to Bush Assurances to Sharon - Rice

Reuters
Date: 03-27-05

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) said Sunday Washington was sticking to its support for Israel's intention to retain large West Bank settlement blocs in a final peace deal with the Palestinians.

But Rice, in an Israel Radio interview, again voiced concern over Israeli plans to expand a Jewish settlement near Jerusalem, a project Palestinians said would cut them off from parts of the city they hope to make the capital of a future state.

"While we will not prejudice the outcome of final status negotiations, the changes on the ground, the existing major Israeli population centers will have to be taken into account in any final status negotiations," Rice said.

Rice made the comments, reaffirming a public pledge President Bush (news - web sites) gave to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) last April, after an Israeli newspaper Friday quoted a U.S. envoy as saying no such commitment existed.

The envoy, U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer, denied the report.

"I am sorry that people have tried to create confusion where there isn't any confusion," Rice said.

"I understand there are major political issues in Israel about this but no one should say that there is no agreement between our two governments. That's wrong -- there is, it was reached on April 14 of last year and I hope I have been able to make it clear," Rice said.

Bush's commitment, which broke with decades of U.S. policy, angered the Palestinians who seek all of the West Bank as part of a future independent state.

SHARON RECEIVES GAZA PULLOUT BOOST

The presidential pledge was widely seen as a bid to boost Sharon against opponents of his plan to pull out of the Gaza Strip (news - web sites), in the first evacuation of Jewish settlements on land Palestinian want for a state.

Sharon overcame a major hurdle Saturday to the withdrawal due to begin in July, winning the support of a key opposition party for the state budget, whose passage is necessary by Thursday to avoid a new election.

The Israeli leader has repeatedly made clear his intention to keep control of large swathes of the West Bank.

"There is nothing to worry about regarding the blocs," Sharon told the Haaretz newspaper in comments published on Sunday. "There was a very good American statement and it is clear that the agreement between myself and Bush stands firm."

Bush is due to host Sharon at his Texas ranch on April 11, their 10th meeting since the Israeli leader first took office in 2001.

In a Los Angeles Times interview published Friday, Rice said Israel's plans to build 3,500 homes linking the settlement of Maale Adumim to Jerusalem was "at odds with American policy" and should come to a "full stop."

A U.S.-backed peace road map charting mutual steps toward a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel calls for a freeze of settlement activity on occupied land.

Asked to comment on the Maale Adumim project, Rice told Israel Radio: "We continue to discuss this with the Israeli government. Israel is our friend and we can discuss any concerns that we have, and we're continuing to do that."

Source

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