A letter from America

The letter had been given by President Bush in response to Israel's planned disengagement from Gaza - a commitment Israel subsequently honoured to the full in 2005 - and for which it has paid a high price ever since in terms of loss of life, injury and trauma suffered by its citizens in on going terrorist attacks and indiscriminate firing of thousands of rockets into Israeli civilian population centres.

The Bush letter was very significant because it contained the following Presidential commitments that were to underpin Israel's decision to unilaterally disengage from Gaza without any agreement from the PLO:

1. The United States remains committed to President Bush's vision and to its implementation as described in the roadmap.
2. The United States would do its utmost to prevent any attempt by anyone to impose any other plan.
3. As part of a final peace settlement, Israel must have secure and recognized borders, which should emerge from negotiations between the parties in accordance with UNSC Resolutions 242 and 338.
4. The United States is strongly committed to Israel's security and well-being as a Jewish state.
5. It seems clear that an agreed, just, fair, and realistic framework for a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue as part of any final status agreement will need to be found through the establishment of a Palestinian state, and the settling of Palestinian refugees there, rather than in Israel
6. In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli populations centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949, and all previous efforts to negotiate a two-state solution have reached the same conclusion.
7. It is realistic to expect that any final status agreement will only be achieved on the basis of mutually agreed changes that reflect these realities.

This letter was not a purely personal  commitment by an American President to an Israeli Prime Minister in a wink and nod agreement made during a private and confidential meeting behind closed doors - a letter that Prime Minister Olmert suddenly discovered and brought out of the closet three years later at Annapolis.

The President's commitment was approved by the House of Representatives  (with Senate concurrence ) by an almost unanimous vote of  407 - 9 on 23 June 2004 which:

strongly endorses the principles articulated by President Bush in his letter dated April 14, 2004, to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon which will strengthen the security and well-being of the State of Israel

By a vote of  95 - 3 on 24 June 2004, Senators approved nonbinding language that also said it was unrealistic for any peace settlement between Israel and Palestinians to require Israel to return to the borders that existed before the 1967 war.

President Obama's acknowledgement to be bound by or repudiate President Bush's commitments to Israel must be raised during his forthcoming visit.

President Obama needs to answer "Yes" or "No" -  so that no one will be in any doubt as to America's position as "honest broker" and sponsor of President Bush's 2003 Roadmap - should negotiations between Israel and the PLO ever be resumed.

The answer will certainly cause consternation for Israel or the PLO - but the time for playing it straight down the middle in a feigned show of even-handedness is surely over.

All else that the world  will be subjected to during the President's visit will  be nothing more than hot air and ceremonial posturing.

Ask the President this one question - and ask it soon.