Abbas to present Bush with 'Palestinian vision'

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will present American President George Bush with a, "Palestinian vision of the requirements for a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians", according to Palestinian officials.

The "Palestinian vision" will be presented to Bush during their meeting today. However, there is little hope the US administration will give Abbas the political and financial support he needs to face the challenges at home.

Aware of the Bush administration's enthusiasm for the unilateral Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Abbas will assure Bush that the Palestinians will work to ensure its success.

Gulf News learned that Abbas will reiterate that the withdrawal's success hangs on a US guarantee to the Palestinians that Israel's disengagement from Gaza is the first step in a clear political process known as the roadmap.

Furthermore, Abbas will explain that the Palestinians expect the Israeli disengagement from Gaza to be a full withdrawal, including from Gaza's northern and eastern sectors.

To ensure a stable Gaza, Abbas will emphasise the political and economic necessity for territorial linkage between Gaza and the West Bank. Furthermore, Palestinians' free access to the world will require Palestinian control over Gaza's airspace, port, and borders with Israel and Egypt.

To quell criticism at home, Abbas will need US guarantees, or an "antidote" to the letter Bush gave Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon last year regarding colonies, refugees and borders.

Abbas will call on Bush to publicly endorse the roadmap once again, and to privately call on Israel to enter final-status negotiations.

For Abbas and the Palestinian leadership, initiating final status talks on issues such as borders, occupied Jerusalem and colonies even if through "back channel" talks is a priority. Abbas will look to come out of this meeting with some Palestinian "ownership" of the process.

The writer is an Arab journalist based in Washington.