Speculation is rife that Yasser Arafat may soon declare a Palestinian state - without Israeli opposition. US President Bush told the UN this weekend once again of the American vision of a Palestinian Arab state side-by-side with Israel. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who met with Yasser Arafat in the United Nations, also made this point. He emphasized, both before and after his meeting with Arafat, that all violence must stop before the implementation of any diplomatic solution.
One estimation of the behind-the-scenes machinations is that a tacit Bush-Sharon-Arafat agreement will enable Arafat to declare a state without Israeli objections. According to the plan, Israel will follow the international community in recognizing the new state, but will annex settlement areas and other critical zones in Judea and Samaria. A leading Likud government minister, Environment Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, has already expressed his opposition to the idea: \"A Palestinian state is very dangerous, and I am against it. I and other Likud figures have said as much to Sharon, and the party will have to decide. I assume that the party [decision-makers] will remain loyal to the party platform.\"
One estimation of the behind-the-scenes machinations is that a tacit Bush-Sharon-Arafat agreement will enable Arafat to declare a state without Israeli objections. According to the plan, Israel will follow the international community in recognizing the new state, but will annex settlement areas and other critical zones in Judea and Samaria. A leading Likud government minister, Environment Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, has already expressed his opposition to the idea: \"A Palestinian state is very dangerous, and I am against it. I and other Likud figures have said as much to Sharon, and the party will have to decide. I assume that the party [decision-makers] will remain loyal to the party platform.\"