Powell demands Israel end occupation

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Colin Powell accused Israel of crippling chances for peace with the Palestinians by building homes for Jews on the West Bank and in Gaza.

Reflecting a long-held Arab view, Powell said Monday that Israel was occupying land on which Palestinians were entitled to build their own state. He also called the Arab-Israeli conflict the central problem in the region.

Unlike his predecessors in the past 28 years, Powell did not say he would go there himself to push his program with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. He is sending Assistant Secretary of State William Burns this week in his place, and retired Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni will be sent as Powell's special adviser.

The next chapter in the unfolding drama will be a visit to Washington in December by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for talks with President Bush and Powell.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who takes a far more conciliatory stance than Sharon, said the Bush administration's recognition of a Palestinian state "is, in fact, already an accepted vision."

Peres also said the Israeli government already was committed to not building new Jewish settlements on the West Bank and in Gaza "and we would also like to put an end to the occupation."

Jerusalem 'indivisible'

Sharon praised the speech, too, but stressed that all violence must cease before negotiations begin, his office said in a statement. Sharon also stressed that Jerusalem must remain the "indivisible" capital of Israel forever. He said he would create a team to manage negotiations for a cease-fire with Burns and Zinni.

Nabil Shaath, a leading Palestinian official, called Powell's speech positive. "For the first time, the United States is speaking about ending Israeli occupation," he said. "For the first time, they are speaking about a viable Palestinian state."

Powell appealed to the Palestinians to curb violence and terrorism. But the thrust of his speech was directed at Israel, marking a sudden change in direction for the Bush administration. For 10 months, it has concentrated on trying to apply the brakes to 14 months of violence with cease-fire proposals.

But now, as it seeks Arab support in the war on terrorism, the administration is leaning on Israel to give ground.

The harshest statement in Powell's speech at the University of Louisville concerned Jewish home-building on the West Bank and in Gaza. Many Jews consider the West Bank, which they call Judea and Samaria, part of Israel, and some 200,000 live there.

"Israeli settlement activity has severely undermined Palestinian trust and hope," Powell said. "It pre-empts and prejudices the outcome of negotiations, and in doing so it cripples chances for real peace and security."