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U.S., Israel Discuss Security Fence

(Washington Post) Glenn Kessler - In an hour-long interview with Washington Post editors and reporters after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's chief of staff met with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice at the White House, an Israeli official Thursday appeared to be laying the groundwork for unilateral steps to separate Israelis and Palestinians. "We will not tolerate the present situation for more than a couple of months," the official said, indicating that such steps would be taken before the U.S. presidential election. Israeli officials said the meeting between Rice and Dov Weisglass focused especially on the security barrier. "The basic American approach is the U.S. will not raise any complaints against Israel regarding the route as long as the Palestinians do not take even the minimal steps or action against terrorism," the Israeli official said. The road map, he said, is "just a piece of paper" to implement the president's vision. "We love the president's vision," he said, because he "made it clear that unless the Palestinians will endorse themselves into a law-abiding, civilized society, there will be no political negotiations with them." "This principle, this sequence, is that you, Mr. Palestinian, will obey the rules which are well-accepted among other members of the civilized community of nations, and then you may be allowed to discuss politics," he said. "This sequence we will never give up, and apparently, nor will the United States." "Unfortunately, socially and politically there is no Palestinian nation," the official said. "You have to understand Palestinian political society today is a collection of a couple hundred independent entities," each with its own leader and local militia. "When a Palestinian prime minister is confirmed, practically it means nothing."
2004-01-23 00:00:00
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