Sharon stands firm on fence

By RUPERT CORNWELL in Washington

In a rebuff to US President Bush, Israel on Tuesday dug in its heels over the controversial security fence it is building on the occupied West Bank, saying construction of the barrier would continue because it was essential for the country's security.

Speaking during his eighth visit to the White House since Mr Bush took office, Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, instead reverted to the familiar tactic of laying the blame on the Palestinians for not moving more forcefully to crack down on terrorism.

Although the three month ceasefire declared by Palestinian militant groups was holding, the terror threat had not ceased, Mr Sharon said at a joint Rose Garden press conference with Mr Bush.

"The quiet could be shattered any minute, as result of the continuing existence of terror organisations that the Palestinian authority is doing nothing to eliminate."

Mr Sharon met Mr Bush just four days after the President, with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister beside him, called the fence (more properly a wall) a "problem" which did not help the road-map plan being pushed by the US and other major powers for an overall Middle East settlement by the end of 2005.

The atmosphere yesterday was one of amicable agreement to disagree.

Though Israel gave so little discernable ground, the two men were all smiles and friendliness, referring to each other as 'Ariel' and 'George.'

Nothing suggested that the Bush administration, anxious not to upset its strongly pro-Israel conservative Christian supporters, is any readier than before to lean hard on Israel.

The President merely urged Israel to "consider the consequences of its actions" on the peace process. Mr Sharon in reply professed a desire to move ahead, and said that the construction of the fence would as far as possible minimise disturbance to the Palestinians. Mr Bush in turn proclaimed once more his "unshakeable" commitment to the safety of the Israeli people and the security of Israel.

Nor had Mr Sharon anything new to offer on the vexed question of Israeli settlements, criticised by Mr Bush in the past, and whose complete freeze and subsequent rollback - along with the removal of the fence - was bluntly demanded by Mr Abbas last week.

Under the road-map, Israel is required to halt activity at nearly 150 formal Jewish settlements - freezing a policy which the Palestinian Prime Minister described as a "landgrab" by Israel. In addition, small settlement outposts which have gone up since March 2001, must come down. In fact, diplomats say, while a dozen of them have been removed in recent weeks, but others have been put up. "

Unauthorised outposts will be removed as required in a law-abiding country," was as far as Mr Sharon would go yesterday.

Since the formal launch of the road-map at Mr Bush's summit with Mr Abbas and Mr Sharon at Aqaba, Jordan, last month, both sides have made some gestures, including the ceasefire on the part of the Palestinians, and the announcement by Israel of over 500 Palestinian prisoners, and the removal of 10 crossborder checkpoints. But neither has made major concessions.

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