By Ellis Shuman  November 17, 2003  

 



Senior U.S. officials said that relations between the U.S. and Israel were "approaching a crisis" due to the policies of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government, Army Radio reported today. According to the officials, the Bush administration is furious that Sharon is not evacuating unauthorized outposts in the territories, is expanding settlements and is continuing with construction of the security fence along a route that is not logical.

The prime minister "isn't acting as a friend, isn't keeping promises and is ignoring the Bush administration's difficult situation in Iraq and the criticism of the president," the officials said, quoted by the radio. Sharon is reportedly ignoring a series of critical messages received from administration officials, including their support for private peace initiatives such as the Geneva Accords.

Haaretz reported yesterday that messages were relayed in a series of telephone conversations between the National Security Council's Middle East Director, Elliot Abrams, and Sharon's bureau chief, attorney Dov Weisglass. Weisglass will soon travel to Washington in an effort to resolve the differences with the Americans, the paper said.

Officials at the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv said, however, that there was no crisis between Israel and the Bush administration. Prior to his departure today for a three-day visit to Italy, Sharon said, "Our relations with the United States are the best ever."

Yesterday, Sharon told the cabinet that Israel has either removed or thwarted attempts to put up 43 settlement outposts since the Aqaba summit in June. Sharon was responding both to a question posed by National Infrastructure Minister Yosef Paritzky and also to American pressure to take down unauthorized outposts, as per Israel's commitment in the "road map" peace initiative. Sharon promised Paritzky that the government would hold a discussion on the issue in the coming weeks and cabinet ministers would receive detailed information.

In a weekend interview with Newsweek and the Washington Post, Sharon said Israel had dismantled some outposts "but [can't complete this] in a short time. We still have quite a number of them; some were built many years ago under illegal procedures. We gave instructions to try to do [something about them] as soon as possible."

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz reportedly presented U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice at their meeting in Washington last week with a list of some 40 outposts which have been dismantled. Prior to Mofaz's departure from Israel, media reports suggested that the army was preparing to dismantle additional outposts, but Mofaz stated that no actions would be taken until he returned from Washington.

Haaretz reported today that no new unauthorized outposts are currently being established, but the settler population is instead working to assure the success of those outposts already set up. There is a quiet understanding between the Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip and the defense establishment, the paper said. According to this understanding, no new outposts will be set up and the army will not dismantle existing sites.

Peace Now activists, which have been monitoring settlement activities in the West Bank, said the government's efforts to dismantle outposts were all a "bluff," Army Radio reported. Instead of dismantling sites, the government was hooking them up to electricity and connecting them with roads, the activists said.

According to the "road map" plan, Israel is committed to remove outposts and halt settlement construction, while the Palestinians are committed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure. Media analysts suggested that with the formation of a new Palestinian government, the Americans are now increasing their pressure on Israel to fulfill its commitments.


 

 

 

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