Speaking with reporters after the Monday morning meeting at Bush's Texas ranch, the President praised Sharon as a "strong, visionary" leader for promoting his "courageous initiative" of disengagement. Sharon's plan calls for unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza and northern Samaria, expelling the 8,500 Jewish residents, and abandoning the land to the terrorist-infested Palestinian Authority.
Sharon justified his plan by saying it is "not a political one. It was a unilateral decision driven by a need to reduce terror as much as possible and grant Israeli citizens maximum security. The process of this disengagement will strengthen Israel, improve the quality of life for Israeli citizens, reduce the friction between us and the Palestinians, and can pave the way for the implementation of the Road Map."
Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon has said that the plan would provide a "back wind" to Palestinian terrorism. Sharon did not back up any of his above claims, all of which have been contested by leading political and military leaders.
The only overt disagreement between Bush and Sharon surfaced regarding a long-term Israeli plan to build 3,500 housing units between Maaleh Adumim and Jerusalem. Sharon said that Israelis "are very much interested [in having] contiguity between Maaleh Adumim and Jerusalem." Bush, however, said, that according to Israel's Road Map obligations, Israel may not expand any "settlements."
President Bush urged the PA leadership to cooperate with Israel, as Sharon has offered, on the implementation of the disengagement. He further built up Sharon by pledging to "work together" to help develop the Negev and Galilee regions, and by repeating the "new realities" promise long cited by Sharon to allay his critics.
Referring to massive Jewish presence in some parts of Judea and Samaria, Bush said, "New realities on the ground make it unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949. It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will be achieved only on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities. That's the American view. While the United States will not prejudice the outcome of final status negotiations, those changes on the ground, including existing major Israeli population centers, must be taken into account in any final status negotiations."
Sharon said it much more strongly: "The major Israeli population centers in Judea and Samaria will be part of the State of Israel."
Both Bush and Sharon reiterated their support for a viable Palestinian state. Referring to the PA's obligations to fight terrorism, Bush said, "The United States will continue working with the international community to help Palestinians develop democratic political institutions, build security institutions dedicated to maintaining law and order, and dismantling terrorist organizations, reconstruct civic institutions, and promote a free and prosperous economy."
Sharon justified his plan by saying it is "not a political one. It was a unilateral decision driven by a need to reduce terror as much as possible and grant Israeli citizens maximum security. The process of this disengagement will strengthen Israel, improve the quality of life for Israeli citizens, reduce the friction between us and the Palestinians, and can pave the way for the implementation of the Road Map."
Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon has said that the plan would provide a "back wind" to Palestinian terrorism. Sharon did not back up any of his above claims, all of which have been contested by leading political and military leaders.
The only overt disagreement between Bush and Sharon surfaced regarding a long-term Israeli plan to build 3,500 housing units between Maaleh Adumim and Jerusalem. Sharon said that Israelis "are very much interested [in having] contiguity between Maaleh Adumim and Jerusalem." Bush, however, said, that according to Israel's Road Map obligations, Israel may not expand any "settlements."
President Bush urged the PA leadership to cooperate with Israel, as Sharon has offered, on the implementation of the disengagement. He further built up Sharon by pledging to "work together" to help develop the Negev and Galilee regions, and by repeating the "new realities" promise long cited by Sharon to allay his critics.
Referring to massive Jewish presence in some parts of Judea and Samaria, Bush said, "New realities on the ground make it unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949. It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will be achieved only on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities. That's the American view. While the United States will not prejudice the outcome of final status negotiations, those changes on the ground, including existing major Israeli population centers, must be taken into account in any final status negotiations."
Sharon said it much more strongly: "The major Israeli population centers in Judea and Samaria will be part of the State of Israel."
Both Bush and Sharon reiterated their support for a viable Palestinian state. Referring to the PA's obligations to fight terrorism, Bush said, "The United States will continue working with the international community to help Palestinians develop democratic political institutions, build security institutions dedicated to maintaining law and order, and dismantling terrorist organizations, reconstruct civic institutions, and promote a free and prosperous economy."