The United States is still not taking a definitive position vis-a-vis Ariel Sharon's unilateral-withdrawal-from-Gaza scheme. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said on Friday that the Administration wants a negotiated final settlement between Israel and the PA, but that "evacuation of settlements could reduce friction between the two sides." This stands in contrast to remarks made by an unnamed "senior Bush official" last week to the effect that Sharon's plan would not only bury the Road Map, but would empower Hamas.
Dr. Uzi Arad of the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Institute told Arutz-7's Emanuel Shilo today that Sharon's plan "does not correspond with the United States' Road Map, which states, for instance, that the uprooting of settlements is supposed to be at a later stage. The Americans are afraid of the ramifications of Israel going too far ahead of the PA. Dennis Ross once told me that we were running ahead too fast. What he meant was that normal negotiations involve give-and-take - but when one side does too much and jumps out of the pattern, it's like a car driving on only one wheel, causing the entire process to enter a spin. It will cause the PA to think that it doesn't have to do anything in return. As such, Sharon's plan could jump-start the process - but will cause it to crash in the end."
Palestinian Authority leader Ahmed Qurei, who originally welcomed Sharon's proposal, is now urging the United States not to support the plan, fearing that Sharon means to strengthen the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria. He said that he would support it only if Israel follows the Gaza withdrawal with a similar pullback from Judea and Samaria. Israeli opponents of the plan have long said that pulling out of areas in Judea, Samaria and Gaza would only whet the Arabs' appetite.
Arutz-7's Arab Press Survey reviews Arab reactions to the plan, and can be seen at.
Leading Israeli military officers, such as IDF Intelligence Chief Gen. Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash and Shabak (General Security Service) chief Avi Dichter, said last week that Sharon's plan represents a prize to terrorists and a catalyst for more terrorism.
Qurei has apparently dropped his conditions for a meeting with Sharon, and the two are expected to get together in the coming days. It has been reported that if the meeting does not take place within a week, Prime Minister Sharon will fly to Washington and present his unilateral retreat plan. It is far from certain, however, that he has support from his own Cabinet for such a move. Sharon has so far refused to bring the matter up for Cabinet debate and vote, as coalition member parties NRP and National Union have requested.
Dr. Uzi Arad of the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Institute told Arutz-7's Emanuel Shilo today that Sharon's plan "does not correspond with the United States' Road Map, which states, for instance, that the uprooting of settlements is supposed to be at a later stage. The Americans are afraid of the ramifications of Israel going too far ahead of the PA. Dennis Ross once told me that we were running ahead too fast. What he meant was that normal negotiations involve give-and-take - but when one side does too much and jumps out of the pattern, it's like a car driving on only one wheel, causing the entire process to enter a spin. It will cause the PA to think that it doesn't have to do anything in return. As such, Sharon's plan could jump-start the process - but will cause it to crash in the end."
Palestinian Authority leader Ahmed Qurei, who originally welcomed Sharon's proposal, is now urging the United States not to support the plan, fearing that Sharon means to strengthen the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria. He said that he would support it only if Israel follows the Gaza withdrawal with a similar pullback from Judea and Samaria. Israeli opponents of the plan have long said that pulling out of areas in Judea, Samaria and Gaza would only whet the Arabs' appetite.
Arutz-7's Arab Press Survey reviews Arab reactions to the plan, and can be seen at
Leading Israeli military officers, such as IDF Intelligence Chief Gen. Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash and Shabak (General Security Service) chief Avi Dichter, said last week that Sharon's plan represents a prize to terrorists and a catalyst for more terrorism.
Qurei has apparently dropped his conditions for a meeting with Sharon, and the two are expected to get together in the coming days. It has been reported that if the meeting does not take place within a week, Prime Minister Sharon will fly to Washington and present his unilateral retreat plan. It is far from certain, however, that he has support from his own Cabinet for such a move. Sharon has so far refused to bring the matter up for Cabinet debate and vote, as coalition member parties NRP and National Union have requested.