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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices

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To: Road Walker who wrote (226363)3/26/2005 6:02:43 PM
From: tejek   of 1575309
 
March 26, 2005

The Charleston Gazette: Israel

No more settlements

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon embarked on a courageous course when he ordered the dismantling of illegal settlements in Gaza. Now it appears that he is trying to play both ends against the middle in an attempt to win back support from those he alienated.

On Monday, the Israeli government confirmed that construction will begin on 3,500 new housing units in Maale Adumim, an area in the West Bank east of Jerusalem.


Two U.S. State Department officials arrived in Israel on Tuesday for previously scheduled talks. They need to make it clear to Sharon that he cannot have it both ways, getting credit with the international community for dismantling illegal settlements in one place while adding to them elsewhere.

Expanding the Jewish presence in traditionally Arab areas around East Jerusalem seems a particularly provocative move, tailored to create a reality on the ground that Israel will then attempt to make permanent through negotiations once peace talks begin. Already, King Abdullah of Jordan has warned that Israel’s plans for Maale Adumim threaten the prospects for peace and make it harder to imagine a contiguous Palestinian state.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has courageously cracked down on militant activity, making the difficult argument to his people that peaceful negotiation will produce better results than violence.

The American-sponsored “road map” for peace specifies that Israel must halt all settlement activity. Sharon has a moral responsibility — to Israelis, to Abbas and to the international community — not to squander this moment when a real breakthrough is possible. One painful lesson from past decades is that such moments are fleeting and infrequent. If they are not used, more bloodshed follows. The White House needs to make this point forcefully to Sharon.

wvgazette.com
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