Another aspect of the alleged Prime Minister's Office deception concerns Sharon's assurances regarding five settlement blocs that will allegedly remain Israeli. Correspondent Haggai Huberman notes that U.S. President George Bush never said a word about them in his letter of two weeks ago to Sharon. He rather wrote that it "is unrealistic to expect" a full return to the 1949 armistice borders "in light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli population centers." Bush actually made sure to state that he is not endorsing any particular solution: "It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will only be achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities."
Even within the settlement blocs that Sharon says he hopes to keep, construction will be all but curtailed. As Huberman writes, "the only place that construction will be possible in Yesha towns under the Sharon government will be on the lawns between the existing houses or on their roofs."
This is backed up by two official letters from Sharon's top aide Dov Weisglass, one from June 2003 and one this month. In the first, Weisglass wrote, "These are the understandings reached between Israel and the U.S. regarding the Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria and Gaza: ... No new towns will be built, and construction will be frozen in the existing towns, except for building within the existing building lines - as opposed to the municipal border..."
In his more recent letter, Weisglass wrote to U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, "On behalf of the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Mr. Ariel Sharon, I wish to reconfirm the following understanding, which had been reached between us: 1. Restrictions on settlement growth: within the agreed principles of settlement activities, an effort will be made in the next few days to have a better definition of the construction line of settlements in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]. An Israeli team, in conjunction with Ambassador Kurtzer, will review aerial photos of settlements and will jointly define the construction line of each of the settlements."
In related news, the text of another letter from President Bush - this one to King Abdullah of Jordan - was leaked to the press today, and includes language that seeks to "soften" the American commitments made to Sharon earlier this month. The letter is raising concern in the pro-disengagement camp in the Likud, as it is felt that it further erodes the "accomplishments" of Sharon's evacuation plan.
Even within the settlement blocs that Sharon says he hopes to keep, construction will be all but curtailed. As Huberman writes, "the only place that construction will be possible in Yesha towns under the Sharon government will be on the lawns between the existing houses or on their roofs."
This is backed up by two official letters from Sharon's top aide Dov Weisglass, one from June 2003 and one this month. In the first, Weisglass wrote, "These are the understandings reached between Israel and the U.S. regarding the Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria and Gaza: ... No new towns will be built, and construction will be frozen in the existing towns, except for building within the existing building lines - as opposed to the municipal border..."
In his more recent letter, Weisglass wrote to U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, "On behalf of the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Mr. Ariel Sharon, I wish to reconfirm the following understanding, which had been reached between us: 1. Restrictions on settlement growth: within the agreed principles of settlement activities, an effort will be made in the next few days to have a better definition of the construction line of settlements in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]. An Israeli team, in conjunction with Ambassador Kurtzer, will review aerial photos of settlements and will jointly define the construction line of each of the settlements."
In related news, the text of another letter from President Bush - this one to King Abdullah of Jordan - was leaked to the press today, and includes language that seeks to "soften" the American commitments made to Sharon earlier this month. The letter is raising concern in the pro-disengagement camp in the Likud, as it is felt that it further erodes the "accomplishments" of Sharon's evacuation plan.