U.S.` Mediation Have No Influence over Israel and Palestine

U.S. President George W Bush, who has been reluctant to intervene into the Israel-Palestinian conflicts so far, switched his policy to positive intervening from the press meeting on the 3rd, but Arab countries as well as concerned parties are ignoring him.

New York Times on the 9th criticized in its editorial, “Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who denied the request of U.S. to withdraw troops from Palestinian towns, is insulting U.S. and the President Bush, who has kept pro-Israeli policies. ”

Washington Post said in its editorial, “U.S. is being challenged from every country concerned, as Palestinian President Yasser Arafat denied the request of U.S. to `criticize suicide bombing terrorists not as martyrs but as murders`. ”

Arab countries announced the statement that they welcome suicide bombing terror as `the continuation of resistance` at Arab League foreign minister`s meeting in Cairo, Egypt on the 4th.

▽Why skeptical are Arabs = Arabs are skeptical to the proposal of U.S. as they don`t think that U.S. abandoned pro-Israeli policies. U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell, who was sent to Middle East by U.S. President Bush, heard on the 8th that `why he came here first` from Mohammed VI King of Morocco, which was the first country of the visit. That means it is nonsense that Powell visit Morocco, which is not the country under the conflict, instead of visiting Jerusalem and accomplishing the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Arab countries are criticizing that U.S. allows Israel to buy time for executing military strategy, as U.S. President Bush sent Powell to Middle East five days later, though requesting the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and Powell will arrive in Jerusalem at the night of the 11th.

In relation to this, U.S. newspaper Boston Globes cited an official of the government requiring anonymity, “President Bush has privately signaled to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that he can phase out the operation gradually. ”

David Broder Columnist of Washington Post said, “President Bush is an absolutist of morality who likes to draw clear line between good and evil. Hence he hates to intervene in moral ambiguities like Israel-Palestinian war, which is the fundamental reason of spinning Middle East policy. ”

▽Powell wants “to meet Arafat.” = Meanwhile, being conscious of the protest of Arabs, State Secretary Powell announced on the 9th that he was willing to meet Arafat. He expressed his strong will to mediate by saying, “I`m willing to begin peace negotiation right now” even by changing the policy line of `cease-fire first, then peace negotiation`, which U.S. has stuck to.

Violence are continuing that bus bombing at Yagur Junction near to Haifa northern Israeli city killed at least 10 persons and injured some 20 persons.

Eun-Taek Hong euntack@donga.com