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Bush pledges close cooperation with Sharon
WASHINGTON -- Saying he looked forward to working to bring "peace and stability" to the Middle East, U.S. President George W. Bush congratulated Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon Tuesday evening, the White House said.
Bush placed the telephone call to Sharon shortly after Ehud Barak conceded defeat to the Likud leader. In Jerusalem, Sharon acknowledged Bush's call in his victory speech to supporters. "They (United States) want to cooperate very closely with my government," Sharon said, adding that Bush reminded him that they both had overcome naysayers to come to power. 'Time to be patient,' Powell saysReacting to the election, American Jews said Tuesday that Sharon has "a chance to prove himself" as a statesman, while Bush has an opportunity to craft a "unique approach" to the Mideast situation. "Time will tell," said Jonathan Jacoby, strategic consultant for the Israel Policy Forum in New York. "I think that Sharon has a chance to prove himself as a statesman and there are many things motivating him to make a positive move toward peace with the Palestinians or the Syrians." Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell made an "impassioned plea" for restraint in the Middle East in the wake of the election, and urged regional leaders to refrain from any acts that would lead to violence. "This is a time to be patient," he said, adding the necessity of giving the new Israeli leader "an opportunity to decide what kind of a government will be formed." Broader U.S. objectives?Israelis elected Sharon as prime minister by a landslide Tuesday, turning out Barak and his Labor Party. Though they rejected Barak, Israelis told pollsters that peace remains a high priority. Leaders of Jewish American groups said Tuesday that they hope Sharon will pursue peace between Israel and its neighbors. Powell seemed to echo that desire: "Whoever wins that election, the United States stands ready to be engaged in the quest for peace," he said. But "during this very, very delicate time immediately following the election, we do nothing." Jacoby said Bush "has an opportunity, a clean slate, a new set of players, and an opportunity to carve out their own unique approach to the Mideast that is different from his father's and his predecessor." The senior Bush was the architect of the Gulf War, while former U.S. President Bill Clinton -- who spent eight years trying to bring forth an acceptable Mideast peace plan -- personally participated in Mideast negotiations. Powell suggested Tuesday that the Bush administration had much broader objectives in the Middle East, and would be consulting a wide range of Arab allies in the region as it develops its policy. Powell links peace and economyU.S. officials have suggested the Bush administration is interested in spending more time on issues such as nuclear proliferation in Iran and reducing the threat Iraq's President Saddam Hussein poses.
"We want to be sure that the search for peace ... is seen in a broad regional context so that the quest doesn't stand alone in and of itself," Powell said, adding that "obviously an increase in violence affects a number of issues throughout the region." Powell said a reduction of violence would enable the resumption of economic activity in the West Bank and Gaza. Such "confidence-building measures," he said, could jump-start the peace process. "When people can earn a living again ... then you have a basis for moving forward," he said. But Powell said the United States could do little more than talk at this stage. "Jawboning ... is pretty much all we can do right now," he said. Did 'Arafat elect Sharon'?Elan Steinberg, executive director of the World Jewish Congress umbrella group, said he did not believe much would change in the peace process because it had ground to a halt in recent months with clashes between Palestinians and Israelis that have claimed hundreds of lives. "I think (Palestinian President Yasser) Arafat elected Sharon. The Barak government made the most far-reaching concessions imaginable and Arafat, rather than choosing peace, chose violence," Steinberg said. "The Israeli electorate has turned to a person in a different camp," Steinberg said. He said the American Jewish community "will support the government of Israel and will insist it pursue the path of peace." Reuters contributed to this report. RELATED STORIES:
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