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April 23, 2004/Iyar 2 5764, Vol. 56, No. 31
Bush still waits for reward
RON KAMPEAS
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Ariel Sharon already is reaping political dividends from last week's historic exchange of letters with President Bush, but the U.S. president's payoff depends a great deal on what Israel does next.
The Bush administration wants to see clear signs in coming weeks that Israel will live up to the prime minister's commitment to pull out of the Gaza Strip and a small portion of the West Bank in exchange for Bush's recognition of Israel's claim to part of the West Bank.
Bush's historic endorsement of Israel's claims - and his rejection of any "right of return" to Israel for Palestinian refugees - have boosted Sharon's political fortunes, allowing him to win over opponents in his Cabinet who had been skeptical of the withdrawal plan.
By contrast, the deal poses clear political risks for Bush, battered by increasing U.S. casualties in Iraq and seeking international support for a transition to civilian rule there.
The fallout in the Arab world was almost immediate. Jordan's King Abdullah II postponed until May a meeting scheduled this week with President Bush, and it was clear from his embassy's statement that the Bush-Sharon agreement had caught him off-guard.
Jordan wanted to "clarify the U.S. position regarding final status issues, especially in light of recent statements by U.S. officials," the statement said. It said the king "underlined the importance of ensuring that Israel's withdrawal from Gaza will be part of the 'road map,' and not an alternative to it."
The "road map" is an internationally-backed peace plan that envisions a Pal-estinian state.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell played down the significance of Abdullah's sudden change of plans.
"He has postponed his visit, but we look forward to welcoming him back in early May, and the date's being worked out now," Powell said after meeting on April 20 with Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher.
The Sharon-Bush summit won't help the transfer of power in Iraq, said Feisel Istrabadi, a constitutional adviser to the U.S.-supported governing council.
"From the perspective of American policy and helping us in Iraq, I think it was the wrong thing to do at the wrong time," Istrabadi told PBS'"One-on-One" show. Israeli-Palestinian tensions dog the United States' good intentions in Iraq and elsewhere, Istrabadi said.
"It is the major bone of contention between the broad masses - I'm not talking about the radicals, but the broad masses of the Arab and Islamic world and the United States," he said.
Administration officials said matters were worsened by Israel's assassination on April 17 of Hamas' new leader, and the predictable conspiracy theories in the Arab world accusing the United States of approving the hit.
The U.S. deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, is in the region this week, explaining that last week's deal only enhances Bush's vision of a Palestinian state as the outcome of negotiations.
"Our desire was to sit down and talk to people about moving forward, about how to make withdrawal from Gaza contribute to overall progress on the road map and toward the president's vision, that we have been engaging Arab leaders and Arab govern-ments in those discussions," Armitage said.
That means that Wash-ington wants to see concrete Israeli actions, and U.S. officials are not likely to be assuaged by a senior Israeli official's pledge last week to "establish committees" to examine how to withdraw.
The president wants to "jump-start progress on the road map," a senior ad-ministration official said last week. "Sharon has also talked about continuing to move toward a settlement freeze, getting rid of unauthorized outposts."
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