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Attila Somfalvi says everything A-Okay between Sharon and Bush
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Bush offers Sharon Laura's specialty "Israel" cookies
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Behind the smiles

Political correspondent Attila Somfalvi offers behind-the-scenes look at Bush-Sharon summit

Here are some things you may not know about Bush's prestigious estate, courtesy of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s advisors.

 

Laura nurtures fields of wild grass, the kind you’d find in the Wild West. Bush grows trees that he markets around the United States. In the eastern part of the ranch, there is a wild forest with 16 types of oak, pecan and cedar.

 

The ranch has a river and an artificial lake, where the president goes fishing. A few miles away from his house, there is a cabin, where Bush works. That is where he and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon conducted their talks.

 

Bush’s ranch is roughly the same size as Sharon’s.

 

The Master of the House gave the Israeli ranch owner a 35-minute tour around his estate. He showed him the cows grazing in the distance, he talked about the trees, the lake and the wild grass and treated him to an intimate dinner with a special menu that included Laura’s homemade cookies.

 

Some of the reporters who accompanied Sharon on his visit felt the U.S. president was a little too hard on his friend Ariel the Brave. But because of what had happened after the joint press conference at the Texas ranch, Sharon’s people, and the prime minister himself, felt it was important to clarify that any reported alleged “crisis” between Sharon and Bush was a complete waste of airtime.

 

Therefore, these illustrative details quickly made their way to the political reporters on Sharon’s plane, to emphasize that the spirit of the meeting was not only good, but better than good. It was amazing. Lovely. Heartwarming. The best meeting, the prime minister called it. Everything is excellent, thank you, regarding our relations with the United States.

 

Disagreement I: Settlements

 

All talk about a crisis between the two countries are greatly exaggerated. There are differences, but it’s a long way away from a big crisis. Even Israel’s construction in the Maaleh Adumim settlement is not enough to destroy the good relationship between Bush and Sharon.

 

It’s a little much to demand that the president of the United States take a real interest in the 3,500 planned homes there, especially when Israel begins its historic pullout from Gaza.

 

Disagreement II: A Palestinian state

 

We can assume the president made it clear to his buddy from Israel that he wants to see an independent Palestinian state up and running by the end of his term. It may sound like a cliche, but the president has a chance to be the one to lead an historic move that could solve the Palestinian problem.

 

As time goes by, Bush is likely to step up his pressure on Israel and the Palestinians. Experience shows that he’s managed to conquer the goals he set for himself. Therefore, it’s difficult to imagine him giving up the opportunity to step into the history books.

 

Sharon can say a Palestinian state is a long way away for as long as he wants, but evidently, the issue isn’t really dependant on him. It’s no longer just the goal of the Palestinian people – it’s Bush’s, too.

 

Agreement I: Abbas

 

Bush and Sharon have no disagreements about Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. He’s not Yasser Arafat, but there are contradictions and nuances between the lines. Israel wants the United States to keep pressing him about the war on terror.

 

Sharon wants to see a war against the terror organizations -with blood, if need be.

 

Bush sees Abbas as the only option right now. He made it clear to Sharon at their meeting at the ranch that he must be given a chance and assistance to build up his government and unite his security forces – conditions set in a U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan.

 

No real solutions were presented. U.S. envoys Eliot Abrahams and David Walsh are expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories in the coming weeks to observe Abbas. Sharon and Bush know very well that if a quick solution isn’t found that could help Abbas strengthen his position, the entire area could deteriorate again to violence.

 

The problem is, no one knows what to do at the moment.

 

Agreement II: Iran

 

The Iranian issue is the sexiest issue there is. Feverish international effortsaimed at finding a solution to the crisis are waning. This story has all the makings of a good suspense movie. Both Israel and the United States are concerned about the developments, but have no solutions as of now.

 

On one hand, the Americans are still knee-deep in Iraq, and analysts say Bush and his government don’t have the energy to wage a second war, which will be harsher. On the other hand, the United States fears that an Israeli military move could disrupt everyone's plans. Vice President Dick Cheney dedicated almost an hour and a half of his time talking to Sharon about the Iranian issue.

Evidently, the next stage would be to bring the issue for discussion in the U.N. security council. Maybe something will change there.

 


פרסום ראשון: 04.14.05, 18:28
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