Sharon abides for the Roadmap

The Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon has stressed commitment to the Roadmap and to dismantle what he described as the illegal sites there, and to freeze settlements in the Palestinian territories.

He expressed his support for the foundation of a Palestinian state on a land linked to the West Bank. He said he wants the Palestinians to rule themselves in their own special state and to live side by side with Israel in peace and security.

He, on the other hand, called on the Palestinian leaders to increase their efforts to fight what he called extremists who stand against Israel and dismantle their infrastructure so as to achieve progress over this plan.

Prior to the meeting between Sharon and Bush, the Palestinian prime minister Ahmad Qurei' called on Bush to pressure Sharon over issues relating to Jerusalem, the settlements, and the refugees, in order to establish a genuine peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Qurei' urged the American president to convince Sharon to halt the settlements inside the Palestinian territories and halt the Judaization of Jerusalem in addition to the wall of separation.