President Bush, rejecting the advice of top political analysts who say that a Palestinian state is a dangerous idea for both Israel and the U.S., outlined a plan last night that would in fact see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state - but only after it uproots terrorism. \"My vision is two states living side by side in peace and security,\" he began, but emphasized several times that this could not happen under the current circumstances. The current PA leadership is \"compromised by terror,\" Bush said, but made no mention of the findings of a poll released this month by the Palestinian Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre (JMCC) showing that it\'s not only the leadership\'s problem. The survey shows that a majority of PA residents believe the aim of their 20-month-old uprising should be to eliminate Israel, and not just to end Israeli \"occupation\" of Judea and Samaria. Many official PA symbols show the entire map of Israel as their \"future\" country - contrary to the Bush doctrine of \"two states living side by side.\"
Given the above, the only bright spot from Israel\'s standpoint in the speech was the fact that Bush will not immediately push for the establishment of the new enemy state on Israel\'s doorstep. Contrary to many press reports, his call for Israel to withdraw its forces to the positions they held on the eve of the Oslo War was not absolute, but only \"as we make progress towards security.\" He further called for an end to Israeli settlement activity - but only \"consistent with the recommendations of the Mitchell committee,\" i.e., only after terrorism has been combated.
Given the above, the only bright spot from Israel\'s standpoint in the speech was the fact that Bush will not immediately push for the establishment of the new enemy state on Israel\'s doorstep. Contrary to many press reports, his call for Israel to withdraw its forces to the positions they held on the eve of the Oslo War was not absolute, but only \"as we make progress towards security.\" He further called for an end to Israeli settlement activity - but only \"consistent with the recommendations of the Mitchell committee,\" i.e., only after terrorism has been combated.