 DONNELLY (Idaho) â President George W. Bush said yesterday the next step after Israelâs withdrawal from Gaza would be establishing a working Palestinian government there and suggested more confidence-building was needed before jumpstarting the âroadkill mapâ peace process. âOf course you want to get back to the âroadkill mapâ,â Bush told reporters. âBut I understand that in order for this process to go forward there must be confidence: confidence that the Palestinian people would have in their own government to perform; the confidence with the Israelis that theyâll see a peaceful state emerging.
| That's going to take a lot of confidence. |
âAnd, therefore, itâs very important for the world to stay focused on Gaza and helping ... the Gaza economy get going, helping rebuild the settlements for Gaza, for the people of Gaza,â Bush said at a resort in Donnelly, Idaho.
Washington was counting on Prime Minister Ariel Sharonâs âdisengagement planâ to kick-start the âroadkill mapâ peace plan for a viable Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, where evacuations of settlers wrapped up on Monday. âSo to answer your question, what must take place next is the establishment of a working government in Gaza, a government that responds to the people,â Bush said.
He said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas âhas made a commitment to fight off the violence because he understands a democracy canât exist with terrorist groups trying to take the law into their own hands.â Bush stopped short of calling on Abbas to dismantle the groups following Israelâs withdrawal.
| Since he knows Abbas can't deliver on that. |
Bush also called for a renewed push to consolidate Palestinian security forces. He said these forces were divided into factions and were not designed to âprotect the overall security of the Palestinian people.â |