(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - One of Sharon's main concerns is that the international community, led by the EU, will press Israel immediately after the Gaza disengagement to take similar steps in parts of the West Bank. However, Bush indicated that he views the Gaza plan as a pilot program, and that the question of where to go after disengagement depends on how the PA governs Gaza. "What's needed is confidence," Bush said. "And I'm convinced the place to earn - to gain that confidence is to succeed in the Gaza....I want to focus the world's attention on getting it right in Gaza." Bush thus indicated that he still accepts the stage-by-stage diplomatic approach, rather than jumping ahead immediately to final status. During Sharon's talks with Bush, more time was spent discussing Abbas and the weakness of the PA than was spent on the settlement controversy. Despite a press fascination with the issue, there are other matters, when it comes to Israel and the Palestinians, of equal or even greater concern to the White House.
2005-04-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive