(Ha'aretz) Ze'ev Schiff - Whoever tries to present President Bush's statements as the second Balfour Declaration in terms of their importance to Israel, is getting carried away. The most significant achievement was the emphasis placed on the fact that a solution for the Palestinian refugees will be outside the borders of the Jewish state, as Israel has long demanded. On the territorial front, however, the achievement is only partial. In his comments, Bush did not mention settlement blocs. The "new realities on the ground" that will have to be taken into account have another side: the growth of Palestinian Jerusalem and the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have settled in the Jerusalem area and neighborhoods. The main dilemma facing Bush was how to accept Sharon's plan but not to make exaggerated concessions to the Israeli leader and harm America's standing as an accepted and credible broker between Israel and the Palestinians. An American mediator is preferable to Israel over a European mediator working hand-in-hand with the UN and Russia. Bush defined the moves the prime minister is taking as brave steps that could lead to a historic process. Bush, however, repeatedly referred to these moves as a beginning. The expectation, therefore, is for the evacuation of more settlements to allow for the transfer of more territory to the Palestinians.
2004-04-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive