(New York Times) - James Bennet The Bush administration has never regarded peace between Israelis and Palestinians as a goal as central to American interests as, say, getting rid of the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has rarely been more than a nagging subtext of the Bush administration's declared war on terrorism. The administration clearly recognizes there is a problem here, and it may truly want to help. But with rebuilding Iraq, confronting North Korea, and addressing the American economy already on its agenda, this conflict may never rise to the level of a top priority, certainly not enough of one to justify the political risks involved in dragging the antagonists along the route outlined by the road map - particularly during the coming presidential election year. It would be much easier, some experts say, for the White House simply to create the impression that it is trying.
2003-03-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive