Bush team faults Israel, Palestinians for not preparing public for peace
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Tuesday, January 23, 2001
JERUSALEM — Israel believes that the Bush administration will change
U.S. tactics in achieving an Arab-Israeli peace accord.
Israeli officials said that in talks with the new administration they
have been told that the White House will stress the need for Arab and
Israeli efforts to prepare the people for peace. The officials said Bush
aides assert that neither the Palestinians nor the Arab nations have
prepared their people for peace with Israel.
Yoram Ben Zeev, head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's North American
department, said he heard considerable criticism from the new administration
regarding the policies of President Bill Clinton. The U.S. officials said
Clinton aides did not properly prepare for U.S. mediation efforts in talks
between Israel and Syria and Israel and the Palestinians.
But Ben Zeev said Bush will not disregard the Clinton peace plan
submitted to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The Foreign Ministry
official said the United States will base future peace accords on the
Clinton proposals.
The Bush administration is also examining the new regime of Syrian
President Bashar Assad and its willingness to resume peace talks with
Israel. The administration is said to have set as a priority an
Israeli-Syrian accord.
Israeli sources said that key appointments in the State Department and
Pentagon are familiar to Israel. They include Deputy Secretary of State
Richard Armitage and those expected to fill key posts such as Edward
Djerejian, Paul Wolfowitz and Dov Zakheim.
Israeli officials said the White House will be briefed on the
Israeli-Palestinian talks this week in Taba.
Tuesday, January 23, 2001
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