(New York Times) Steven R. Weisman - President Bush is planning to issue a declaration on Wednesday that his aides say will recognize Israel's right to retain some Jewish settlements in the West Bank, representing a subtle but substantial shift in American policy. Administration officials also said Bush would assert that Palestinian refugees should live in a future Palestinian state rather than in the Israeli lands they continue to claim. The officials said the declarations - planned as part of a carefully scripted visit by Israeli Prime Minister Sharon - are similar to peace proposals put forward in private in 2000 by President Clinton. They appear to fall short of what Sharon had been seeking - an acceptance of five specific settlement blocs and an outright rejection of the Palestinian "right of return" to Israel.
2004-04-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive