(White House) After meeting with Prime Minister Sharon at the White House Wednesday, President Bush said: "It seems clear that an agreed, just, fair and realistic framework for a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue, as part of any final status agreement, will need to be found through the establishment of a Palestinian state and the settling of Palestinian refugees there, rather than Israel....In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli population centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949." "The prime minister has made the decision to dismantle some settlements. In other words, he is beginning to implement a vision that allows for contiguous territories so that a Palestinian state can emerge....Now it's up to responsible Palestinians, caring Europeans, Americans, the UN to step in and help develop such a state that will be a peaceful state."
2004-04-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive