Bush approves settlements once more.

Crawford, Texas--Prime Minister Sharon's visit to President George Bush in April, 2005 had the desired result: another affirmation that Israeli settlements on the West Bank will never be handed over to the Palestinians, thereby ensuring that an independent Palestinian state is illusory.

In Toronto the National Post's headline read "Bush nixes West Bank expansion" (April 12). The Globe and Mail of the same date, however, would have none of it. Its headline: "Bush backs Sharon's plan for settlements." The Globe correspondent, Paul Koring, however, still spoke of "an independent sovereign homeland" for the Palestinians as if this were still a reality to be achieved. It is not. The most Palestinians will ever be able to establish are a few cantons, one in the miserable ruins of Gaza, the remaining four or five on the West Bank, all surrounded by heavily guarded Israeli borders which will control all trade and commerce going in and out of these reserves.

American naivete about the Israelis has also enabled the latter to take advantage of American technology without restrictions. Americans do not hesitate to pass American technology on to Israeli corporations; the latter then improve it in various ways for their own use. Aside from receiving free technology, Israel retains the right to sell to whomever they want, and that includes China. America demands that it should retain a veto over sales but that has never been accepted by Israel.

In April 2005, in frustration, the Pentagon cut Israel out of the development of a new design jet fighter aircraft. Will this resolve the problem? Not at all. Israel is China's largest arms supplier next to Russia and intends to carry on as it has over the last 20 years ("U.S. dumps Israel from fighter jet project," Nat. Post, April 16, '05). It also has the largest concentration of high-tech companies outside the Silicon Valley in California, and no longer depends on outside know-how. Israel has a huge arms industry.