President George W. Bush said on Friday he would tell Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon privately what he has been saying publicly: there can be no expansion of Jewish settlements under the U.S.-backed Middle East peace plan. "You bet," Bush said when asked if he would raise the issue on Monday when he meets Sharon at his Texas ranch. "What I say publicly, I say privately," Bush told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from Pope John Paul II's funeral. "And that is the road map has clear obligations on settlements, and that we expect the prime minister to adhere to those road map obligations." Israeli officials have sought to reassure Washington about plans to build 3,500 homes between the major West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim and Jerusalem. The proposal has angered Palestinian leaders who warn it could derail peace talks. While senior U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the Maale Adumim project, Bush stopped short of criticizing it directly and praised Sharon. --More 2252 Local Time 1952 GMT
