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| By: Israel Insider staff and partners |
| Published: March 25, 2005 |
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Yediot Ahronot reports Friday morning that United States Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer told a group from the Israeli Foreign Ministry that there is absolutely no understanding between Israel and the United States with regard to Israel retaining the settlement blocs in a final agreement with the Palestinians. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has cited such an understanding as a key justification for his "Disengagement" plan.
Kurtzer attributed the "misunderstanding" to Israeli confusion over the use of the term "I understand" when used in a conversation. When the Israelis handling the talks with the United States (Dov Weissglass) hear an American say "I understand" in the course of a conversation they think it means that there is an "understanding" or "agreement," Kurtzer explained, when all it really means is that the American "understands" what the the Israeli said.
Kurtzer also said that he expected the Sharon Government to fall after the disengagement and Palestinian terror to resume during the Knesset election campaign.
Israel Radio reported this morning that the Bush Administration has decided to postpone pressure on Israel to back down from construction plans in Maaleh Adumim for a few days until after the State budget is passed.
MK Uzi Landau (Likud) said in a live interview on Israel Radio that Kurtzer's remarks are no surprise -- that anyone who read the actual letter exchanged
and followed statements by President Bush and other American officials knew that this was the case.
Curiously, this week Israel Radio and Channel One TV senior diplomatic correspondent Ayala Chason argued on this point with MK Ehud Barak (Labor) -- asserting that Barak's claim that there was no understanding with the US regarding that settlement blocs was completely wrong and that Barak's
response that the Israeli media was ignoring the truth was insulting.
In the exchange of letters President Bush opined that Israeli populations beyond the Green Line would have a value in the negotiations. While the Sharon team asserted that this means that the settlement blocs would remain, the actual meaning was that the US is of the opinion that they will have value as bargaining chips -- this while the Palestinian position is that the blocs have no value as bargaining chips as the Palestinians consider them illegal. While the US thinks they have value as bargaining chips the Americans have taken care to repeat each time that the results of the talks are completely up to the parties.
State: Don't prejudice final status with unilateral actions
IMRA also cites a transcript from a press briefing Thursday with State Department Spokesman Adam Ereli:
QUESTION: Can you update us on Mr. Welch and Mr. Abram's visit to the Palestinian territories?
MR. ERELI: Sure. Assistant Secretary Welch and Deputy National Security Advisor Abrams are in the last day of their three-day visit to the region. Today they met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Qureia, Mohamed Dahlan, Saeb Erekat, Finance Minister Salaam Fayyad, Minister of Interior,
National Security Nasser Yusif. As you know, yesterday they met with Prime Minister Sharon and Vice Premier Peres and Minister of Defense Mofaz.
They've had a -- I think, a good, full discussion of all the issues that are before us, as together we try to move toward peace, we try to move toward a fulfillment of the President's vision of two states living side by side; talked about reform, talked about the need for security, talked about Gaza withdrawal, talked about support for the economic, social needs of the Palestinian people.
They did talk about settlement activity, obviously. On the subject of settlement activity, particularly with respect to the report of 3500 units [of housing in a corridor near Maaleh Adumim] that you have been asking consistently about, Secretary Welch and -- Assistant Secretary Welch and Deputy National Security Advisor Abrams raised the issues -- raised the issue with Israeli officials during the visit. They did ask for additional information.
We've been told that no final decisions have been made. We have restated our fundamental concern regarding any unilateral action that could prejudice the rights of other parties or the outcome of final status negotiations or adversely affect the situation of people living in the areas. And we would expect those concerns to be taken on board and we'll continue to follow the matter closely.
Dr. Aaron Learner is Director of Independent Media Review and Analysis (www.imra.org.il).
Israel Insider staff adds:
Later Friday, Ambassador Kurtzer reportedly took issue with the Yediot report. He said the report that he expects the Sharon government to fall after disengagement is "absolutely false" and said the article is full of misquotes. He insisted that there are no misunderstandings between the United States and Israel concerning the status of major Israeli population centers beyond the 1967 borders.
Kurtzer said today, echoing the Bush pronouncement on the subject, that Israel is not expected to return to its 1967 borders and that any final agreement with Arabs must reflect the reality of large Jewish population centers such as Ma'aleh Adumim. |
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