Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pledged to remove unauthorized outposts in Israel after U.S. President George Bush called for him to halt construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
"We would like the Palestinians to govern themselves in their own state, a democratic state," Sharon told reporters at a joint news conference with Bush on Monday.
Bush followed by saying that "the thing that I want people to understand is that the Prime Minister of Israel has made a commitment toward the vision of two states living side by side in peace."
Bush and Sharon are meeting today at the U.S. President's ranch in Crawford, Texas.
"I told the prime minister of my concern that Israel not undertake any activity that contravenes road map obligations or prejudices final status negotiations," Bush said earlier.
"Therefore, Israel should remove unauthorized outposts and meet its road map obligations regarding settlements in the West Bank," he said.
The U.S. has objected to Israel's plans to expand building in the settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim, the largest settlement in the West Bank.
The construction of the 3,650 homes would cut off Arab neighbourhoods in Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank.
Israel says the new construction is a natural extension of the Jewish suburb, but the Bush administration says it is a violation of the U.S.-backed "road map" to peace.
Under the road map, Israel must freeze settlement building. It also requires that Israel remove unauthorized Jewish outposts -- something Sharon promised to do Monday.
"As such, I will fulfill my commitment to you, Mr. President, to remove unauthorized outposts. As to settlements, Israel will meet all its obligations under the road map," the Israeli PM said.
The meeting between Bush and Sharon had originally been intended to discuss a planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and some parts of the West Bank.
Speaking earlier in the day, Sharon told NBC's "Today" there is a lot of tension in Israel over his Gaza pullout plan.
"The tension here, the atmosphere here looks like the eve of the civil war," Sharon said.
Withdrawal creates tension
Under the withdrawal plan, about 9,000 Israelis will be removed from 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the northern West Bank this summer.
While the Gaza Strip withdrawal is larger, it can be more easily controlled because it is surrounded by a barrier. Settlers there have also begun showing signs of acceptance, opening negotiations with the government over compensation.
However, there are fears the dismantling of the West Bank settlements could be more violent. The area holds special significance for religious Jews, and there are fears that Jewish ultranationalists might enter the settlements to resist the evacuations.
Israeli military officials said Monday that settlers in four West Bank settlements will be disarmed about two weeks before the evacuation. Gaza settlers will also be disarmed, but the timing of that is still unknown.
Some settlers may refuse to give up their weapons, citing such reasons as protection against Palestinian militants. Militants have repeatedly attacked Jewish settlements in the past four years of violence.
Other than the settlement issue, Bush and Sharon were to discuss the two-month-old ceasefire, negotiated with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at a February summit.
That ceasefire has been strained in recent days, following the shooting deaths of three Palestinian youths by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian militants fired two dozen mortar rounds in retaliation to the killings Saturday, but stopped short of abandoning the ceasefire.
Sharon told NBC that he believes that peace with the Palestinians is possible.
"Yasser Arafat, first was a military man, and during his rule there were no chances whatsoever to reach peace," Sharon told "Today." "As a matter of fact, I believe at the current time, maybe for the first time, there is a possibility to try and solve the problem."
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