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Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45652-2003Feb8.html
Bush and Sharon Nearly Identical on Mideast Policy
(Washington Post) - Robert G. Kaiser For the first time, a U.S. administration and a Likud government in Israel are pursuing nearly identical policies. Thomas Neumann, executive director of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, noted that Israel and the U.S. share a common view on terrorism, peace with the Palestinians, war with Iraq, and more - a change made possible by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and their aftermath. The turning point came last June, when Bush embraced Sharon's view of the Palestinians and made Yasser Arafat's removal as leader of the Palestinian Authority a condition of future diplomacy. For now the Israeli-Palestinian issue is stalled. No movement is expected before the resolution of the Iraq issue. State Department officials confided privately that they feel sidelined, and that the debate inside the administration has ended, at least temporarily.