U.S. President Bush on Monday put the finishing touches on a proposal for a provisional Palestinian state covering parts of the West Bank. Evidently, Bush will not mention Jerusalem's future in his speech.
On Monday, Bush again suspended building of a U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. When he campaigned for president, he said he would move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby acknowledging Israel's claim that the city is its capital.
As Bush moved toward an announcement, expected in a speech Tuesday or Wednesday, the State Department chided Israel for planning to extend an electronic fence the length of the West Bank as a shield against suicide bombers.
"To the extent that it is an attempt to establish a border, we would have to say that that really has to be done through direct talks" with Palestinian officials, spokesman Richard Boucher said, according to AP. "We do remind the Israelis that offering hope to Palestinians, offering them a decent life, an end to the barriers, is an important part of achieving security and peace," Boucher said.
Meanwhile, the president's wife, Laura, chimed in with criticism of Israel's move. "I don't think that a fence will be some long-lasting sign of peace," she said. "Right now, there's a huge barrier of hate and distrust between all the parties in the Middle East," Mrs. Bush said on American Urban Radio Networks. "I hope they can start to at least tear that barrier down."
The White House sought to distance itself from Israel's decision to construct fences and take other measures to separate itself from Palestinians. "Israel has a right to defend itself," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. "But all parties have to be aware of the consequences of their actions." (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
