February 18, 2004

Report: Gaza pullout only after US Presidential elections

Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the evacuation of the settlements there will most likely take place after the US Presidential election in November, Army Radio reported a senior unnamed government official as saying Wednesday.

The source said that Prime Minister Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan might raise some difficult political issues for US President George W. Bush – from both Democrats and parts of the US Jewish community.
[...]
Senior Israeli diplomatic officials said the administration wants to ensure that whatever Israel is planning in terms of disengagement remains within the overall parameters of the road map and President George W. Bush's June 2002 speech calling for a viable, democratic Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The official said the US wants to ensure that the plan includes disengagement lines that will enable the establishment of a contiguous state, as Bush called for in his speech.

The officials said the US delegation is interested in giving US input before the plan is crystallized. There is speculation that the delegation will press Israel to put off implementation of any Gaza withdrawal until after the November US presidential elections, out of the fear that implementation could lead to a major Mideast crisis that Bush does not need on his watch just prior to an election.
[...]
The Yediot Ahronot daily said Sharon supports a quick, full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, including a military pullout. Sharon is leaning toward leaving the settlements intact and handing them over to an international body that would distribute the homes and infrastructure to the Palestinians, the paper said.
[...]

"We are not making moves which are not fully in cooperation with the American administration," he said. "Israel is very careful to be attuned to Washington, our only real allies in the world."

Israelis know who their real friends are--the U.S.A. and President George W. Bush.
May God continue to bless both of our nations!

Meanwhile, back at the "Palestinian" ranch,
the current PM Queria is already seeing the need for "foreign peacekeepers" (either of the EU or the UN, I presume) in the new, independent Palestine that will be created upon the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Great plan, Ahmed! Then, *they* can be the new "occupiers" and we'll all be off to the races again.
As usual, neither Queria, Arafish or any other Paleostinian spokesman had anything to say about their part of the road map deal, i.e. ending Islamist terror.
Between the clueless Dimocrats and the murderous Paleostinians (separated at birth?), it's going to be a long 9 months until Nov. 3 election.
God help both Israel and America if the Democrat candidate wins: we'll need it badly.