Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon is heading to Washington today for talks with US President George W Bush likely to focus on their common nemeses Iran and Iraq as well as on Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed.
The meeting tomorrow will be Mr Sharon's fourth White House visit in a year in office. In that time Bush has not once met Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, in whom he has expressed disappointment over an alleged arms smuggling attempt.
In Paris, French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said this morning the European Union disagreed with Washington's support of Mr Sharon.
"Europeans are unanimous in not supporting the Middle East policy of the White House," he told France Interradio.
"We think it is a mistake to blindly accept the policy of pure repression conducted by Ariel Sharon."
Mr Bush's State of the Union address last week in which he referred to Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an axis of evil means Mr Sharon will preach to the converted when he restates his concerns that Tehran and Baghdad have nuclear aspirations.