(Ha'aretz) Nathan Guttman and Aluf Benn - On Wednesday, senior White House officials spoke with Israeli Ambassador to Washington Daniel Ayalon to soothe Israeli fears in the wake of reports that Washington intended to send a letter of assurance to Jordan to "balance" the letter President Bush sent to Sharon regarding the disengagement plan. Bush is considering giving written assurances to Abdullah that the issues of settlements and the Palestinian refugees will be decided in negotiations between the two sides, Reuters reported. Similar letters have been requested by Saudi Arabia and the Palestinians. The U.S. has informed Israel it will have to make a "corrective" move toward its European allies and the Arabs. "The president's commitments to Israel, detailed in the letter to the prime minister, are valid and binding as they are written and are clear to everyone," said a statement released by the Israeli Embassy in Washington following the meeting between Ayalon and the White House officials.
2004-04-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive