Arab League Says Israel Ignores Bush on Settlements
Reuters
Date: 04-13-05
By Paul Holmes and Jonathan Wright
CAIRO (Reuters) - Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa accused Israel on Wednesday of belittling a call from President Bush to halt settlement expansion on occupied land.
Moussa told Reuters in an interview the Israelis would do nothing for peace with the Palestinians until they were "called to order" by the United States and peace hopes were "a bit far-fetched" under Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Israel enjoyed immunity from international law and would stick to a "don't care" stance until the United States and the rest of the international community replaced words with action on such issues as settlement building in the West Bank, which Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war.
"Somebody, and that is the U.S., must tell them 'No, if you continue that way we will take such and such action'," Moussa said. "But as long as it is just sitting and talking Israel will do nothing because they know they can get away with anything they want to do."
Bush called publicly on Sharon after talks at his Texas ranch on Tuesday to halt the expansion of settlements in the West Bank in line with commitments under a "road map" plan toward a peace deal with the Palestinians.
Sharon's aide Dov Weisglass remarked soon after Bush's statement that U.S. policy on settlements was already known.
"(That) is belittling the importance of what he said," Moussa said. "If Israel does not abide by the terms agreed upon in the roadmap, they have to be called to order."
He would not specify what action he believed the United States should take, but he noted Israel received major financial assistance from Washington in the form of aid and debt guarantees.
Sharon made no firm commitments in response to Bush's call and again said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had to crack down harder on militants responsible for attacks on Israelis for peace talks to take place.
Sharon is proceeding with plans to remove Israeli settlements and troops from Gaza later this year but has insisted Palestinians must settle for less than the entire West Bank in negotiations over a future state. Bush backs the Israeli position.
"I am very pessimistic about the degree of implementation that the government of Mr Sharon will adopt," Moussa said.
He said he would reserve judgment on the likelihood of U.S. action "to ensure that Israel respects what the President of the United States has said."
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
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