Mahmoud Abbas: Desperately seeking Bush

This week saw Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas in the United States. The Israeli prime minister was in town to lend moral support to American Israel Public Affairs Committee (currently reeling from charges of espionage), drum up support for his disengagement plan and rally the American Jewish troops for "the day after": when, Sharon fears, pressure will be exerted on Israel to move from the unilateralism of Gaza to the negotiated process required by the roadmap. As far as Sharon is concerned that linkage can be postponed until the end of never. "It is safer to sign agreements with President Bush than with the Arab world," he told a meeting of the Israel Bonds in New York on 23 May.

Abbas is in town for his first meeting with Bush as Palestinian Authority president. He will seek financial support and credible commitments from the American president that the Gaza withdrawal will be linked to the roadmap and pressure will be applied on Israel to adhere to its provisions, critically, a freeze on settlement construction and the withdrawal of the Israeli army to positions prior to the Intifada.

He will probably not get them. But there are some in the administration who believe he should, and for one reason. Five months into presidency -- and about to meet the man on whom his entire political strategy ultimately rests -- Abbas is a weaker leader than he was.

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http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/744/re1.htm