Washington is urging its allies to refrain from exerting pressure on Israel aimed at convincing Jerusalem to offer the Palestinian further concessions, in a bid to boost Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s position as he fights through an internal political crisis, the New York Times reported Sunday.
The newspaper quoted senior White House officials and reported that President George W. Bush and his senior aides are now focusing their attention on the completion of Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. The Americans hope that in the wake of the withdrawal, the Palestinian Authority would be able to exercise its security control over the Strip.
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"There's no question that we are aware of the toll that the whole disengagement debate took on Israelis,” a senior Administration official said. “In our view, the message to Prime Minister Sharon from people in New York should be one of congratulations, not one of new pressures."
"We will be saying to anyone who asks us that if your goal is Israeli-Palestinian progress, you're not going to get there by misunderstanding the Israeli political situation," added the official, who declined to be named.
The U.S. is expected to convey a similar message in meetings to be held by senior officials later in September during the annual meeting of the United Nation’s Assembly. During the session, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to meet with Sharon, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, and representatives of the European Union, Russia, and the U.N.
One-on-one meetings
Meanwhile, Rice has already held a one-on-one meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on August 24 and another one with Justice Minister Tzipi Livni a day later.
As opposed to other meetings where at least one representative of each side attends, this time Rice made sure that the sessions would take place without the presence of Israeli Ambassador in Washington Danny Ayalon and Rice’s assistant David Welch, a move hinting at the possibility the meetings focused on developments within Israel’s political system.
During the sessions, Rice apparently sought to receive a first-person report, from the two ministers closest to PM Sharon, regarding the difficulties he is facing and political developments within the Likud.
The New York Times report comes in the wake of comments
by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who on Saturday said he expects talks with Israel to resume immediately and lead to additional Israel withdrawals. The Palestinian Authority chairman said he was hoping for a Palestinian state to be established by next year.
Abbas’ position is backed by several European governments, but according to the latest American message, there is no use in exerting pressure on Sharon in the coming months, while he struggles with the battle for the Likud leadership and the Palestinians prepare for general elections, slated to be held in January 2006.
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