The Bush administration has told Israel that it will
not participate in the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
Senior U.S. officials told Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz that the
U.S. has decided that Israel will not be involved in the war against Iraq
even if Iraq launches a missile attack against Israel.
Instead, the United States will provide for Israel's security should such an attack take place.
"They [the U.S.] are willing to give us all the necessary aid," Mofaz
said according to Middle East Newsline. "I think the State of Israel is better prepared than it was in the
past . . . if Iraq will respond with a
missile attack against the State of Israel."
On Thursday, Secretary of State Colin Powell said that if the U.S. goes
to war against Iraq, it will be a quick campaign.
"We are doing everything we can to avoid war," Powell said. "The
President's made that clear. But if war comes, the only thing I would say
about the nature of that conflict is that it will be done in a way that
would minimize the loss of life, and it will be done to be accomplished in
as swift a manner as possible."
On Friday, the quartet group of the United States, Russia, the EU and
United Nations meets in Washington to discuss Israeli-PA war. But the U.S.
has delayed the adoption of the roadmap proposal for a final settlement to
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The roadmap peace plan calls for Israel to
commit "unequivocally" to the establishment of an independent Palestinian
state in 2005. The three-stage plan calls for firstly an "end to terror and
violence" in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The second stage calls
for "Palestinian institution-building" followed by a "transition" period
leading to last stage of Palestinian "statehood."
"Because of the Israeli election, because of the number of issues that
are before the Israeli public right now, we think it would be wiser in this
instance for us to continue to work on the roadmap and wait until after the
Israeli election is over," Powell said. "It's just a matter of weeks until
that is resolved then we will engage with all the parties in the region with
respect to a roadmap if we have complete agreement on the elements of the
roadmap, at least within the quartet at that time."
In Gaza, PA officials criticized the Bush administration for failing to
adopt the roadmap plan. The delay causes "a political vacuum in the region,"
chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Thursday.
Overnight Friday, Palestinian sources said a Palestinian man was killed
by Israeli troops after they surrounded the house of a leading Islamic Jihad
member. The troops arrested 10 Hamas and Islamic Jihad members. Earlier,
Palestinian sources said Israeli troops killed a
11-year-old Palestinian girl in the southern Gaza Strip when automatic
gunfire strafed her house.
On Friday morning, Israeli security forces safely detonated a bomb
placed in a shoe box near a busy mall in the coastal town of Netanya.
Earlier, Mofaz said that Israeli troops will remain in Bethlehem over
Christmas while allowing Christmas celebrations to continue.
