U.S. rebukes Sharon for remarks

WASHINGTON, OCT. 6. In a rare public disagreement between two strong allies, the White House has rebuked the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon for saying the United States risked appeasing Arab nations at Israel's expense like Hitler was appeased on the eve of World War II.

``The Prime Minister's comments are unacceptable,'' said the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush's spokesman, Mr. Ari Fleischer. ``Israel has no stronger friend and ally in the world than the United States, and President bush is especially a close friend of Israel,'' he told reporters. He said the U.S. view had been communicated to Mr. Sharon through the U.S. Embassy in Israel and the National Security Council.

Mr. Sharon yesterday called on the U.S. and the West not to seek Arab support for a war against global terrorism at Israel's expense, citing the ``dreadful mistake of 1938'' when Europe ``decided to sacrifice Czechoslovakia'' to the Nazis. Israel, he said, ``will not be Czechoslovakia.'' ``The United States is not doing anything that would appease the Arabs at Israel's expense,'' Mr. Fleischer said.

Mr. Sharon's blast came after Mr. Bush said on Tuesday that part of his long-term vision for peace in West Asia was a Palestinian State. Mr. Bush said this had ``always'' been his policy. The New York Times had reported that the Bush administration had planned a West Asia policy initiative, including endorsement of a Palestinian statement, that was derailed by the September 11 attacks.

Mr. Fleischer said the U.S had been working for months to press the parties to end the violence and return to a political dialogue and ``the United States will continue to press both Israel and the Palestinians to move forward.'' The dispute marked a rare public disagreement between the two allies since the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. assistance, estimated at $3 billion a year.

In response to Mr. Fleischer's comments, a Sharon aide, Mr. Zalman Shoval, said Mr. Sharon did not mean to imply the U.S. had acting dishonorably. ``Prime Minister Sharon, of course, did not imply in any way that America and its leaders were dealing in a dishonourable way in the present situation as far as it pertains to Israel,'' he said.

``What the Prime Minister intended was to make a warning to everyone, including ourselves, but especially to the leaders of the free world, that appeasement never works,'' Mr. Shoval said. Mr. Bush has been seeking support from Arab and Islamic nations for a coalition for his mission to bring Saudi- born militant Osama Bin laden to justice. Bin laden, the prime suspect in the attacks, is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan.

- Reuters

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Section  : International
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