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Sharon seeks US approval to expand West Bank settlements
Jerusalem, Feb 06: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wants US approval to expand some of the West Bank settlements, which it intends to annex in the final peace agreement with Palestinians, for evacuation of most of the settlements in the Gaza Strip and a few others in the West Bank.
Jerusalem, Feb 06: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wants US approval to expand some of the West Bank settlements, which it intends to annex in the final peace agreement with Palestinians, for evacuation of most of the settlements in the Gaza Strip and a few others in the West Bank.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, due to visit us later this month to present his plan, will justify the request due to the need to move some of the settlers from the evacuated areas to West Bank settlements of Ma'aleh Adumim, Ariel and Gush Etzion, daily Ha'aretz reported.
The 'road map', to which the us and international community remain committed, calls for a freeze in the construction of all settlements regardless of whether they are isolated or part of a larger bloc.
Government sources in Jerusalem reportedly said receiving US permission to strengthen the settlement blocs is one alternative being examined by National Security Council (NSC) chairman Giora Eiland.
Another option is formally annexing the settlement blocs, which would lead to Israeli law being imposed on them.
They also point towards the fact that the previous US administration had agreed that Ma'ale Adumim, Ariel and Gush Etzion would be included within Israel as part of the Clinton framework for a permanent agreement.
''The current administration knows that we did not hold up the road map,'' government sources are quoted to have said, adding, ''The Palestinians did and there should be reward and punishment.''
Another alternative being mooted is to receive American approval to relocate the separation fence eastward to a temporary security line that would include more settlements than the currently planned route.
''The security line would be used until the road map's fulfillment,'' the sources reportedly said. ''After the negotiations resume and when an agreement is reached, we would move the fence to where the border is defined.''
The sources said that Eiland, the former commander of the Israeli forces planning branch, is considering other alternatives including the withdrawal and relocation of additional West Bank settlements. However, Sharon remains opposed to a ''deep evacuation''.
Bureau Report
The 'road map', to which the us and international community remain committed, calls for a freeze in the construction of all settlements regardless of whether they are isolated or part of a larger bloc.
Government sources in Jerusalem reportedly said receiving US permission to strengthen the settlement blocs is one alternative being examined by National Security Council (NSC) chairman Giora Eiland.
Another option is formally annexing the settlement blocs, which would lead to Israeli law being imposed on them.
They also point towards the fact that the previous US administration had agreed that Ma'ale Adumim, Ariel and Gush Etzion would be included within Israel as part of the Clinton framework for a permanent agreement.
''The current administration knows that we did not hold up the road map,'' government sources are quoted to have said, adding, ''The Palestinians did and there should be reward and punishment.''
Another alternative being mooted is to receive American approval to relocate the separation fence eastward to a temporary security line that would include more settlements than the currently planned route.
''The security line would be used until the road map's fulfillment,'' the sources reportedly said. ''After the negotiations resume and when an agreement is reached, we would move the fence to where the border is defined.''
The sources said that Eiland, the former commander of the Israeli forces planning branch, is considering other alternatives including the withdrawal and relocation of additional West Bank settlements. However, Sharon remains opposed to a ''deep evacuation''.
Bureau Report