U.S. President George W. Bush was not the bearer of big news for the Palestinian people when he spoke in Ramallah after meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday.
Apart from a broad presentation of his vision for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, Bush spoke inarticulately about his concerns over Israeli settlements, said his convoy managed to get through Israel Defense Forces checkpoints without delay and suggested the Palestinians abandon United Nations resolutions, because they were of no help to them in the past.
As Bush spoke, the Muqata, Abbas' Ramallah headquarters, was under closure and Palestinian security forces were inspecting cars every ten minutes in an extremely unusual move.
American flags were not scattered through the city, but were only visible in the press conference hall and the Muqata plaza.
Bush first met personally with Abbas and then with a wider forum of the Palestinian leadership. When it was time to meet with reporters, a feeling of discomfort and restlessness was visible on the face of the American president when he couldn't hear the simultaneous translation of Abbas' statements. In a familiar American stunt, he jokingly told Abbas he completely agrees with him despite the fact that he does not understand Arabic.
During the speeches, it was clear from the faces of the Palestinian leadership that were not expecting anything new. The Palestinian claim is clear: Bush doesn't intend to exert pressure on Israel in order to advance the peace process.
Abbas still praised Bush - for being the first American president to call for the establishment of a Palestinian state. But it's doubtful that many people believe it will be declared in his last year in office.
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