MIDDLE EAST: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faced a US warning yesterday against expanding West Bank settlements as he considered delaying a Gaza withdrawal until August to avoid clashing with a Jewish mourning period.
The White House was quick to criticise Israel, one of its closest allies, after it unveiled plans to build 50 new settler homes, a week after President Bush had urged Mr Sharon to freeze such construction.
"We will be seeking clarification from the government of Israel," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters travelling with Mr Bush. "Israel should not be expanding settlements."
Israeli officials were not immediately available for comment on the renewed US demand, which followed a rare public airing of differences between Mr Bush and Mr Sharon over interpretations of a US-sponsored "road map" to peace with the Palestinians.
"Prime Minister Sharon reiterated his commitment to the 'road map' just last week in Crawford, and his commitment to the president's two-state vision," Mr McClellan said. "The road map has obligations for both parties."
Mr McClellan said Israel should halt settlement building and "Palestinian leaders need to act to dismantle terrorist organisations."
Mr Sharon has maintained Israel has the right to continue building in existing settlements. He has apparently been emboldened by Mr Bush's reaffirmation that Israel should be able to keep some West Bank settlement blocs under any peace deal.
Palestinians, who want all of the West Bank and Gaza for a future state, welcomed the White House swipe at Israel.
The White House also reiterated Mr Bush's support for Mr Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan, set to begin on July 20th and take about a month.
Mr Sharon said he was considering delaying the Gaza pullout until mid-August out of respect for a Jewish mourning period marking the destruction of two biblical temples in Jerusalem.
Citing religious sensibilities that could further anger settlers facing evacuation from the occupied Gaza Strip, a Sharon aide had asked that evacuation be put off three weeks.
Mr Sharon, who until now had always refused calls to postpone the pullout, stopped short of endorsing a delay but hinted that he would support it at a meeting with top ministers today.
"Every effort must be made to make it easier for people to get through this crisis," Mr Sharon said. "This issue will certainly be raised at a ministerial committee meeting [ today] and a decision will have to be made."
The government, which has lagged in preparations for the withdrawal, could also be buying time to train security forces for possibly violent resistance.
Mr Sharon's Gaza plan received a boost yesterday when settlers failed to persuade the Supreme Court to block a law paving the way for the pullout from all 21 Gaza settlements and four of 120 in the West Bank.
Yonatan Bassi, a government official managing relocation of 9,000 settlers slated for evacuation, pressed Mr Sharon on Sunday to postpone the pullout.
Mr Sharon may fear that violating Jewish tradition would aggravate opposition to his plan from settlers, many of whom are religious Jews loath to give up occupied land they consider theirs by biblical birthright. But he could be reluctant to give ultranationalist opponents more time to organise resistance.
Palestinians fear that Mr Sharon is trying to swap tiny Gaza for much of the West Bank, where most of Israel's 240,000 settlers live, to deny them a viable state.