US President Bush held talks with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Sharon on April 14 at the White House. During the talks they discussed matters about Sharon's proposal on unilateral disconnection with Palestine. Sharon said Israel would dismantle 21 Jewish settlements at Gaza Strip and four remote settlements on the West Bank of the Jordan River. At the same time, Israel would tighten control over regions of the West Bank, it demanded the United States promise not to let Palestinian refugees return to Israel.

Sharon's plan won Bush's support. At the joint press conference held by both sides, Bush described Sharon's plan as a historic and courageous move, pointing out that in view of the realities of Palestine and Israel and the existence of large-scale Jewish settlements in the West Bank of the Jordan River, it is unrealistic for the Israeli-Palestinian boundary to finally all return to the 1949 cease-fire line.

Bush claimed that the plan could open the door to a peaceful, democratic and practicable Palestinian state. He called on Palestine to give active response to the plan.

With regard to the return of Palestinian refugees on the occupied land, Bush thought they should settle down in Palestine, not in Israel. People here say that this means the United States has actually acknowledged Israeli occupation of some Arabic lands at West Bank regions of the Jordan River, which is a historic change in the US government's Middle East policy. "Bush's agreement on Israel's continued occupation of the Arab lands it seized during the 1967 Middle East War represents a change in the Middle East policy held consistently by the United States over past decades."

The change of Bush's policy is out of the expectations of US media too. Before his talks with Sharon, Bush met with the visiting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at his Craw Ford Ranch on April 12, when both of them expressed their welcome to Sharon's withdrawal plan, they regarded it as part of the entire peace plan, emphasizing that it should not replace the Mid-east peace "Road Map". At that time US media guessed that when Bush met with Sharon, he would not clearly expressed his support of some other demands raised in Israel's unilateral action plan, such as Israel's plan for its continued control of some regions on the West Bank of the Jordan River and East Jerusalem. Instead, Bush would only vaguely say that the Palestinian-Israeli boundary issue should be resolved by the two countries through negotiation. Now Bush's clear expression of his attitude shows that "the United States has changed from the Mid-east peace "Road Map" it previously supported to acknowledgment of part of the occupied lands as an established fact".

In the opinion of local media, Bush satisfied almost every wish of Sharon during his visit to the United States this time. Future US president will unlikely overturn the concession made by Bush. This can be regarded as a permanent rearrangement for the future Middle East peace process. Both Bush and Sharon will thereby gain benefit, they can get support from within their countries. At present, Sharon is confronted with domestic ultra-Rightists' oppositions, and is affected by the scandal of bribery. As for Bush, the present crisis on the Iraq issue gives people the feeling that Bush has accomplished nothing in the Middle East. Bush's support of Israel's plan can help win support from domestic pro-Israeli forces, meanwhile, he hopes that there can be progress in Middle East peace process to show his diplomatic achievements so as to make up the adverse effect brought about by the Iraqi crisis, while his ultimate goal remains to be winning votes for his re-election.

Consequently, some leaders of Middle East countries were recently invited one after another as guests to visit Washington. The first guest was the Egyptian President, followed by the King of Jordan, etc. However, Bush's support of Sharon won him one party while losing many other parties. Bush's attitude has enraged many leaders of Palestine and other Arab countries. Palestine is disappointed and indignant at this. On April 15, President of the Palestinian National Authority Yasser Arafat stressed in his televised speech that Israel can neither get safety if it refuses to end its occupation of Palestinian lands, nor can peace between Palestine and Israel be realized. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei points out that Bush is the first US president who "legalized Jewish settlement in the Palestinian land". But "No one in the world can make the Palestinians give up their rights."

It seems that President Bush is playing a "Middle East peace" card in order to win re-election. He wants to win more votes at home through supporting Israel, and hopes Palestine would submit. But he can't achieve these two things at the same time.

By People's Daily Online