Bush to Middle East

The President of the United States George Bush is to board Air Force one tonight for his first trip to Israel as President.  It will not be an easy trip. That may be an understatement.
Bush will be trying to push forward a personnel peace initiative that started in earnest at the Annapolis peace summit a number of months ago. That initiative has ground to a halt for a number of reasons that Bush can do nothing about. Violence has continued unabated from the Gaza strip in the form of Rocket attacks on many southern Israeli Towns. Israel has responded by entering the strip in short incursions and attacking from the air suspected terrorists. These acts also come in the wake of the murder of two off duty soldiers a week ago by members of the security forces of the P.A. The negotiations themselves are bogged down as a result of extreme disagreement on expansion of neighborhoods even in the Jerusalem. Israel has claimed Jerusalem as its undivided capital since the end of the six-day war in 1967. It is interesting to note that the United States does not officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and has never moved its embassy there from Tel-Aviv. Bush had promised to do this when running for the Presidency the first time as have many previous Presidents have.

His task of moving peace talks forward and trying to isolate Iran from other Arab countries is seen by experts as insurmountable. Talks cannot proceed on central core issues as few Israelis agree to a complete return to the 1967 borders or relinquishing Jerusalem. Even fewer would agree to an influx of refugees into Greater Israel. The PA side claims that no compromise on these issues is possible. Even if some semblance of talks started on these issues Israel’s prime minister  Olmerts government would fall. Some central coalition partners have threatened to bolt if any core issues are to be discussed.