Sharon confers with US President Bush

The Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Thursday started talks with the US President George Bush on the Middle east crisis. The two sides discussed the possibility of resuming the Israeli- Palestinian negotiations.

Sharon said in Washington that Palestinian President Arafat is an "obstacle to peace." He also said that he expects the creation of a Palestinian state.

Meantime, the spokesman for the Israeli government Ave Baznir ruled out any pressure to be practiced by Washington against Israel.

An Israeli official source accompanying Sharon in his visit to the US said that the Israeli government has prepared several military plans to retaliate any operations that might be carried out by the Palestinians against Israeli settlements in the Jordan Valley area.