Writing in Egypt's Al-Aharam this week, A. Berry comments on the meeting between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and US President George W. Bush. "The American President declared his country's commitment to establishing peace in the Middle East. Yet, he did not forget to renew his election promise to transfer the US embassy to Jerusalem," Berry writes. "It was strange for Sharon to call, during the visit, to halt the Palestinian uprising, alleging at the same time that he extends his hand for peace, while claiming that Jerusalem would be the everlasting capital of Israel." Why it was so strange for Sharon to call for an end to the PLO mini-war against Israel while calling for peace, Perry does not explain. The journalist calls on the Arab summit "to support the Palestinian Intifada as the sole way to face Israeli suppression policy," and to revive the Arab boycott against Israel.
The otherwise-moderate Jordan Times published an editorial this week entitled, "Betrayed." The paper's editor identifies with the "astonishment" felt by the Jordanian government "at US President George W. Bush's statement on Tuesday on his intention to start the process to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem." The Jordanians were reportedly optimistic when last week, the US State Department dismissed Secretary of State Colin Powell's reference to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as a "slip of the tongue." But, now, says the Times, "We are forced to agree that something really wrong might be going on in Washington and we have to start considering that a change in America's Middle East policies could be in the making."
The otherwise-moderate Jordan Times published an editorial this week entitled, "Betrayed." The paper's editor identifies with the "astonishment" felt by the Jordanian government "at US President George W. Bush's statement on Tuesday on his intention to start the process to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem." The Jordanians were reportedly optimistic when last week, the US State Department dismissed Secretary of State Colin Powell's reference to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as a "slip of the tongue." But, now, says the Times, "We are forced to agree that something really wrong might be going on in Washington and we have to start considering that a change in America's Middle East policies could be in the making."