The Jerusalem Post reports that J’lem Expects Bush to Pressure PA.
The report states “Israel expects US President George W. Bush to take a firm stand against terrorism when he meets with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Washington on Thursday, a source in the Prime Minister’s Office told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.” (The whole track record of the chemistry of Israel/US relations says that Israeli “expectations” are exceedingly excessive.)
The report continues; “The expectation comes despite calls from the State Department on Monday, following the death of three Israelis in a drive-by shooting by Palestinian terrorists, to continue making gestures to ease the lives of Palestinians.”
The State Department is in fact pressing Israel to normalize transportation access to Judea and Samaria for PA Arabs despite the drive-by terror attack of a couple of days ago in which 3 were killed and 5 were wounded. For Dubya just relayed to Abbas; ‘Don’t Worry, I’ll Sway Israel’ on the issue of access.
And the demands of Abbas don’t stop there, for he Warns Israel Not to Fuel the Fire, while PA Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa charged Wednesday that “Israel was attempting to … to force its own agenda on Abbas’ meeting with President Bush.
And then there is the issue of whether or not Hamas will take part in the upcoming PA elections.