President George W. Bush has cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon against West Bank settlement expansion.
Despite the warning, which came during talks in Texas, Mr Sharon made no firm commitments and said peace talks with Palestinians would not proceed until they fought terrorism.
US President George W Bush
Mr Bush had promised to tell Mr Sharon publicly and privately to stop expanding the settlements and said he told Mr Sharon of his concern that
"Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes 'road map' obligations or prejudices final status negotiations.
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President Bush offers chocolates wrapped in Israeli flags to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon |
"Therefore, Israel should remove unauthorised outposts and meet its 'road map' obligations regarding settlements in the West Bank," Mr Bush told a news conference with Mr Sharon at his ranch. "That's no expansion of settlements."
He made clear he was counting on Israel's Gaza withdrawal to revive the US-backed peace plan and end "scepticism" about its prospects.
Palestinians voiced anger and disappointment afterward at Mr Bush's reaffirmation that Israel should be able to keep some West Bank settlement blocs under a future peace deal.
"This American position gives an unequivocal message to the Palestinians that the United States still sees itself as a partner for Israel and Israeli interests rather than an honest broker," Cabinet Minister Hassan Abu-Libdeh said.
Referring to large Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Mr Sharon said: "It is the Israeli position that the major Israeli population centres will remain in Israel's hands under any future final status agreement," adding "with all related consequences".
Mr Sharon did not back down in the face of US concerns over an Israeli plan for the construction of 3,500 homes for Israelis in a narrow corridor between the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim and Jerusalem. "It'll be part of Israel," he said of Maale Adumim.
But he sought to reassure Mr Bush no new building work was imminent, saying it "might take many years" before contiguity was achieved between the settlement and the holy city.
Palestinians fear the Maale Adumim extension would largely cut off the West Bank, which would form the bulk of a viable state they seek, from the eastern Arab part of Jerusalem, which they want as its capital - a demand Israel rejects.
Mr Bush urged the Palestinian leadership to accept Mr Sharon's offer to co-ordinate the withdrawal.
As Mr Bush and Mr Sharon met, Palestinian militants renewed mortar barrages against Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip after a weekend of violence triggered by Israel's killing of three unarmed Palestinian youths in disputed circumstances.
Mr Sharon laid down a stern marker to the Palestinians for the resumption of talks under the road map, saying Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas must stop militants who have been launching mortar attacks on Israeli settlements.
Mr Bush said Mr Abbas had taken some positive steps, but he demanded "an immediate, strong and sustained effort to combat terrorism".