Boucher warns Israel against new wall route

While the US Government welcomed Israel's recent decision to withdraw its troops from the Gaza strip, it criticised the new route approved by Israel for the separation wall it is building in the West Bank, a move the Palestinians reacted to by accusing Israel of changing "facts on the ground".

Also, the United States warned against any unilateral step that would affect the final talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.

"We see the Gaza evacuation and dismantling of four colonies on the West Bank as part of implementing the roadmap," US State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher said recently during his daily briefings.

However, Boucher warned at the same time against any move that would "prejudge the outcome of final status negotiations, [and] compromise the roadmap or make life more difficult for Palestinians", in reference to the Israeli decision to modify the route of the separation wall.

The Israeli Government voted 17-5 on February 20 on approving a plan to evacuate Gaza colonies.

However, the decision to quit these colonies, considered "historic and painful" by Israel and its supporters in the Bush administration, comes with a caveat.

The Israeli cabinet also officially signalled its intent by a vote of 20-1 to annex another 7 per cent of Palestinian territory.

Clearly the Israeli cabinet's decision is only the opening salvo in what will be a long and drawn-out negotiations process.

American President George W. Bush presaged the process in the April 14, 2004 statement which endorsed the Gaza evacuation plan, in which he nullifies the Palestinian Right of Return as called for in UN Security Council Resolution 194, and called West Bank Jewish colonies "facts on the ground", that Palestinians must learn to live with.

On the other hand, the Palestinians are accusing the Israeli Government of changing the situation and imposing the facts they desire.

"Israel is creating facts on the ground in the West Bank. Sharon wants payback in the West Bank for the disengagement from Gaza, particularly occupied Jerusalem," Palestinian legislator and former negotiator Dr Hannan Ashrawi said.

The separation wall, to Palestinians, is an "apartheid wall" because of its impact on the Palestinian population as it evokes images of the White South African regime under the apartheid system.

Many countries in the world support the Palestinian position on the wall issue.

Under the new route, it has been revealed that 93,000 Palestinians, not 10,000 as originally envisaged, would be put under direct Israeli rule.

Additionally, more than 177,000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem will be cut off from the rest of the West Bank.

The writer is an Arab journalist based in Washington