U.S. President George Bush continues to have no confidence in Yasser Arafat. Following his meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for over an hour in the White House, Bush said, “The conditions [for a regional peace conference] are not even there yet. That’s because no one has confidence in the emerging Palestinian government.” Among the issues the two leaders discussed were Syria’s support of the Hizbullah terrorist organization, and Sharon told his host that the thousands of Hizbullah missiles aimed at Israel from Lebanon are the \"biggest threat facing Israel today.” Also on the table, according to some reports, was imprisoned Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard, who is into the 17th year of a prison sentence for having passed confidential US documents over to Israel, and Azzam Azzam, an Israeli Druze imprisoned in Egypt on espionage charges.
At the traditional post-meeting joint press conference, Bush said, \"It\'s my honor to welcome back Israel\'s Prime Minister to the Oval Office... I reiterated my strong view that we need to work toward two states living side by side in peace...\"
Asked about a possible expulsion of Arafat, President Bush said, \"I don\'t think Mr. Arafat is the issue. I think the issue is the Palestinian people. And as I have expressed myself, I am disappointed that he has not led in such a way that the Palestinian people have hope and confidence. And so, therefore, what we\'ve got to do is work to put institutions in place which will allow for a government to develop which will bring confidence not only to Israelis, but the Palestinians.\"
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has repeatedly stated his opinion that Israel does not see Arafat as a partner for peace negotiations. Sharon says that no agreement with the PA is possible while Arafat is in power. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, on the other hand, told Israel Radio today that \"the replacement of Arafat\" is not what is needed now. \"What is needed is reforms in the PA,\" he said, and \"ultimatums, or dictating who will lead the P.A., are not substitutes for reforms.\"
At the traditional post-meeting joint press conference, Bush said, \"It\'s my honor to welcome back Israel\'s Prime Minister to the Oval Office... I reiterated my strong view that we need to work toward two states living side by side in peace...\"
Asked about a possible expulsion of Arafat, President Bush said, \"I don\'t think Mr. Arafat is the issue. I think the issue is the Palestinian people. And as I have expressed myself, I am disappointed that he has not led in such a way that the Palestinian people have hope and confidence. And so, therefore, what we\'ve got to do is work to put institutions in place which will allow for a government to develop which will bring confidence not only to Israelis, but the Palestinians.\"
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has repeatedly stated his opinion that Israel does not see Arafat as a partner for peace negotiations. Sharon says that no agreement with the PA is possible while Arafat is in power. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, on the other hand, told Israel Radio today that \"the replacement of Arafat\" is not what is needed now. \"What is needed is reforms in the PA,\" he said, and \"ultimatums, or dictating who will lead the P.A., are not substitutes for reforms.\"