Is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict unsolvable?
The familiar Israeli-Palestinian dance continues. Following his meeting with President Bush in Crawford last week, Ariel Sharon has signaled that he might delay the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza by three weeks, until mid-August, to avoid overlapping with a Jewish mourning period. Meanwhile, the Israeli government is moving ahead with plans for construction of an additional 50 homes in the West Bank settlement of Elkana — even though Bush just warned Sharon again, per the peace plan known as the road map, that there could be no further expansion of settlements. White House spokesman Scott McClellan reiterated the message for reporters traveling with Bush in South Carolina today: “We will be seeking clarification from the government of Israel,” he said. “Israel should not be expanding settlements.” There’s been some speculation as to how hard Bush will now push Sharon toward a real peace deal with the Palestinians. Despite some cautious criticism by Bush, the Israeli prime minister clear
