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ACTION ALERT 8/26/05: Bush Correctly Praises Disengagement; Fails to Make Clear that 'Gaza First' Can't be 'Gaza Only'

Use the APN Action Center to contact President Bush to thank him for his comments in support of the evacuation of settlements, AND to ask him to lead Israel and the Palestinians to a more secure future by calling on both sides to meet their obligations.

August 23rd Press Briefing with Idaho Gov. Kempthorne in the background

At a press conference on August 23rd, President Bush was asked about getting Israel and the Palestinians back to the Road Map. In his answer he got two out of three right: he praised Prime Minister Sharon for evacuating the settlements in Gaza; he spoke about actions that the Palestinians need to take; and then, when he started speaking about getting "back to the Road Map" he spoke only about Palestinian commitments. At no point in that statement did he mention that Israel too must meet its commitments.

Take Action: Click here to go to the APN Action Center.

Prime Minister Sharon deserves credit for evacuating all of the settlers out of Gaza. This act improves Israeli security by relieving the strain of defending isolated settlements in a densely populated Palestinian area. It is also an historic step that proves that settlements don't have to stand in the way of the Israeli government's imperative to meet Israel's security needs. At the same time, Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, which was announced as a unilateral measure before Mahmoud Abbas replaced Yasser Arafat as President of the Palestinian Authority, is not an alternative to the Road Map or bilateral negotiations.

Bush was also right to speak about the need for the Palestinians to "consolidate their security forces" and for Israelis to "see a peaceful state emerging" in Gaza. In fact, the Palestinians need to do this and more.

Unfortunately, the likelihood that a peaceful Palestinian state will emerge depends not only on the steps that the Palestinian leadership takes. It depends also on whether the current leadership - which advocates an end to terror and a return to negotiations - can convince the Palestinian public that negotiations and nonviolence will result in a viable Palestinian state. This pragmatic perspective has competition on the Palestinian street - competition lead by Hamas. Palestinians already suspect that the Gaza withdrawal was intended to freeze the peace process and divert attention as settlements in the West Bank expand. At this time, as the Palestinians prepare to hold parliamentary elections, it is doubly important that Palestinians see that 'Gaza first,' is not the same as 'Gaza only.'

It is not at all clear, however, that Prime Minister Sharon will implement his Road Map commitments and return to negotiations without American leadership. In fact, a day after Bush's comments Sharon announced the expansion of the security barrier which is expected to wrap around a large swath of land including Maale Adumim and the controversial E-1 settlement project. Palestinian-owned land is already being expropriated for this project; an act that violates Israel's commitment under the Road Map to refrain from "confiscation and/or demolition of Palestinian homes and property." The absence of progress towards peace will inevitably bring a return to the violence Israelis and Palestinians know too well.

This is the time when Israel's elusive quest for a secure peace depends on America doing more than cheerleading. This is the time for America to be leading.

President Bush should lead by urging both sides to implement their commitments under the Road Map. Among the most important of these commitments is that the Palestinians make a 100% effort to fight terror and Israel freezes settlement activity and demolishes outposts built in the last four years.

Click here to read the full text of President Bush's remarks.

Please contact President Bush. Thank him for his comments in support of the evacuation of settlements. Ask him to lead Israel and the Palestinians to a more secure future by calling on both sides to meet their obligations.

Take Action:

Click here to go to the APN Action Center.

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