9.02.2004 By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent American officials say the United States expects Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s withdrawal initiative to be complementary to the road map for Middle East peace, and is not prepared to give up on the plan, which was unveiled last year by President George Bush, and to replace it with Sharon’s unilateral plan. The officials also indicated that the U.S. will not oppose evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements, a move announced last week by Sharon during an interview to Haaretz, but will not allow Israel to expand West Bank settlements concurrently. American officials have also told their Israeli counterparts in recent days that the U.S. administration is not in favor of transferring Gaza settlers to the West Bank, a move favored by the prime minister in return for evacuating the Gaza settlements.
Jerusalem sources are hoping the U.S. will agree to the expansion of settlement blocs due to be annexed to Israel under a final status deal with the Palestinians – settlements such as Ariel, Gush Etzion and Ma’aleh Adumim. Sharon is considering including the annexation of the blocs in his disengagement plan in return for a considerable pullout from the Strip. Sources in Sharon’s bureau have said in recent days that the Gaza evacuation will probably include the dismantling of fewer than the 17 settlements Sharon mentioned in his interview with Haaretz columnist Yoel Marcus last week. One Jerusalem source said Sharon may suggest initially evacuating isolated settlements and leave the evacuation of Gush Katif for a later phase, depending on what Israel receives in return from the U.S. Sharon is due to meet Monday with his national security adviser, Giora Eiland, who will brief him on the progress on the disengagement plan ahead of the arrival of American envoys later in the week. Sources say Eiland will suggest to Sharon four options for evacuating Gaza and West Bank settlements. The broadest option includes evacuating most Gaza settlements and some West Bank settlements. Israel is not considering withdrawing from the Jordan Valley under any circumstances under the disengagement plan, despite continued disagreement over its strategic importance following the war in Iraq. Three American envoys, Steve Hadley and Eliot Abrams from the White House and William Burns of the State Department, will want to hear details on the disengagement plan so that the administration can prepare its final position on the plan. Sharon’s bureau chief, Dov Weisglass and NSC Eiland will then travel to Washington for further talks ahead of Sharon’s meeting with President George W. Bush. Under the planned timetable, the main points of the plan will be agreed upon before the meeting of the two leaders, who will then iron out any necessary details. Sharon, meanwhile, began meeting with his Likud ministers to „soften them up” and convince them to back his plan. Sharon met with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who has spoken out publicly against a unilateral withdrawal from the territories. The two agreed to meet again when Shalom returns from a state visit to India. Sharon will meet Monday with Education Minister Limor Livnat and Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and on Thursday with Minister without Portfolio Uzi Landau – who has expressed his vehement objection to the plan – as well as Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz and Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi. Weisglass is also due to meet next Sunday with his Palestinian counterpart, Hassan Abu-Libdeh and Palestinian Minister Saeb Erekat for further preparatory talks ahead of an expected meeting between Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala). During the last meeting between the officials on Wednesday, the sides suggested returning to the committees and teams seen during Mahmoud Abbas’ term as prime minister. Weisglass recommended reviving the joint ministerial committees, while the Palestinians demanded that West Bank towns be handed over to them, that prisoners be released and freedom of movement for PA Chairman Yasser Arafat. Abu-Libdeh and Erekat expressed their concern over the disengagement plan and asked to hear additional details. Israel is only prepared to transfer towns to the Palestinians if the Palestinians provide a coherent security plan. Egypt, meanwhile, is pressing Arafat and Qureia to show more of a presence and take more on security so as to strengthen the PA’s position in cease-fire talks with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Egyptians want to host a further round of talks in Cairo in another six-to-eight weeks. BPI.
