Associated Press
October 5, 2001
By Sonya Ross

WASHINGTON, Oct 5 - In a rare public disagreement between two strong allies, the White House rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Friday for saying the United States risked appeasing Arab nations at Israel's expense like Hitler was appeased on the eve of World War Two.

"The prime minister's comments are unacceptable," said President George W. Bush's spokesman, Ari Fleischer.

"Israel has no stronger friend and ally in the world than the United States, and President Bush is especially a close friend of Israel," he told reporters.

He said the U.S. view had been communicated to Sharon through the U.S. Embassy in Israel and the National Security Council.

Sharon on Thursday called on the United States and the West not to seek Arab support for a war against global terrorism at Israel's expense, citing the "dreadful mistake of 1938" when Europe "decided to sacrifice Czechoslovakia" to the Nazis.

Israel, he said, "will not be Czechoslovakia."

"The United States is not doing anything that would appease the Arabs at Israel's expense," Fleischer said.

Bush has not personally spoken to Sharon, Fleischer said. Secretary of State Colin Powell did talk to the prime minister, and "made clear the reaction of the president to the statements," Fleischer said.

When asked why Bush did not call Sharon, Fleischer said, "This was the appropriate manner in which to get the message across."

Sharon's blast came after Bush said on Tuesday that part of his long-term vision for Middle East peace was a Palestinian state. Bush said this had "always" been his policy.

The New York Times had reported that the Bush administration had planned a Middle East policy initiative, including endorsement of a Palestinian statement, that was derailed by the Sept. 11 attacks.

Fleischer said the United States had been working for months to press the parties to end the violence and return to a political dialogue and "the United States will continue to press both Israel and the Palestinians to move forward."

The dispute marked a rare public disagreement between the two allies since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. assistance, estimated at $3 billion a year.

In response to Fleischer's comments, a Sharon aide, Zalman Shoval, said Sharon did not mean to imply the United States has beeb acting dishonorably.

"Prime Minister Sharon of course did not imply in any way that America and its leaders were dealing in a dishonorable way in the present situation as far as it pertains to Israel," he said.

"What the prime minister intended was to make a warning to everyone, including ourselves, but especially to the leaders of the free world, that appeasement never works," Shoval said.

Bush has been seeking support from Arab and Islamic nations for a coalition for his mission to bring Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden to justice. Bin Laden, the prime suspect in the attacks, is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan.