Bush endorses as 'historic and courageous' Sharon's pullout plan

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Wednesday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to pull out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank as "historic and courageous actions." An elated Sharon said his plan would create "a new and better reality for the state of Israel."

In what appeared to be a major shift in U.S. policy, Bush said it is now "unrealistic" to expect that Israel, in any final peace deal with the Palestinians, would make "a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949." That is significant because Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in the 1967 war.

And, in a concession sought by Sharon, Bush also said a final peace deal should call for Palestinian refugees to be settled in a Palestinian state, not in Israel.

Bush said the "realities on the ground and in the region have changed greatly" and should be reflected in any final peace deal — a key concession, also sought by Sharon, to the fact that Israel has large groups of settlers in the West Bank.

Bush urged the Palestinians to match Israel's "boldness and courage." But Palestinians, who want all of the West Bank and part of Jerusalem as well for a state, have signaled their disapproval.

They fear Sharon is sacrificing Gaza and parts of the West Bank as a prelude to keeping other areas.

Sharon, who smiled ebulliently during the exchange with reporters, said he was encouraged by Bush's support for his plan, which the Israeli leader had sought as a way to boost his own party's support.

The Israeli leader said his disengagement plan would improve Israel's security and economy, and set the right conditions for negotiations with the Palestinians.

Asked outright if the United States recognized Israel's right to keep some settlements in the West Bank, Bush said Sharon had started the process of removing settlements from the West Bank.

He said final decisions about Israeli settlements in the West Bank had to wait for "final status" negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians on a Palestinian state.

Bush emphasized that the security fence Israel is building against Palestinian terror attacks "should be temporary rather than permanent, and therefore not prejudice any final status issues, including final borders."

Both the Palestinians and Israelis have responsibilities to undertake in the search for peace, Bush said. Today, Israel "stepped up to those responsibilities," Bush said, and Palestinians must do the same.