Observing the ongoing meetings between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) one would have a difficult time believing that Mr. Olmert does indeed plan to step down from office following Wednesday’s party leadership elections in Kadima.
The two leaders met on Tuesday, reporting it was a “good meeting,” and telling the media that following Abu Mazen’s return from a visit to the UN, they will meet again, not stating in just what capacity Mr. Olmert will be attending, as prime minister or a past prime minister.
According to reports, there is only a dispute involving 70 square kilometers (42 miles) that prevents closing a deal between Israel and the PA. According to information released by Spain’s Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, the sides are close to a deal regarding a safe-passage route for PA residents in the Beit Shean area. Moratinos told Spanish media correspondents that Olmert is offering the PA land equivalent to 5.5% of Yehuda and Shomron in exchange for the PA’s willingness to accept settlement blocs in those areas. In return, Israel would hold on to 6.8% of Yehuda and Shomron to house ‘settlement blocs’. The PA will receive a safe-passage route amounting to some 40km (24 miles), permitting PA residents the ability to travel between Gaza and Yehuda and Shomron. This route would remain under Israeli sovereignty, but under total PA day-to-day control without an Israeli presence.
In essence, the prime minister is speaking of giving the PA land from the kibbutzim north of Jenin in the Beit Shean area as well as lands in the Gaza periphery area and in the Southern Chevron Hills.
Moratinos made his statements following a number of meetings with Olmert, Abu Mazen, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salem Fayyad. He stated he is surprised by the progress in areas of borders security, refugees and Jerusalem.
The senior Spanish official added that despite Israeli denials, there are ongoing talks pertaining to the future of Jerusalem and Israel has made an offer and awaits a PA response. “Israel has found a solution to the complicated situation regarding the Old City and the religious issue,” stated Moratinos.
Olmert has agreed to permit a “symbolic number of refugees to return,” several thousand, but for some reason he explains, the remainder will not have a right of return to Israel, but to the Palestinian state.
Olmert aides deny there are talks on Yerushalayim.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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6 Responses
Be happy Israel is a democracy (of sorts). Imagine if Olmert were the Beloved Leader for Life, and anyone disagreeing was taken out and shot. If you can convince 61 members of the Israeli parliament, it would take a few days, at most, to change the prime minister. Unfortunately for those who can’t stand Olmert, his party did win the most seats in the last election – but at least there will be new elections sometime in the future.
It blows my mind that these so called “leaders” have such a short memory. Ariel Sharon sold out his own people in search of a legacy as a “peacemaker” and wound up in a coma..if this moron wants to kick more jews out of their home then maybe we can get V8 to sponsor this future vegetable!!
Olmert seems to get more accomplished for the “PA” than Abbass.
Of course, if Shas wasn’t so thrilled about all the $$$ it’s raking in, the government would have fallen some time ago. Yerushalayim or money, does not seem like a tough choice to me.
#6 history will show whether it is more important to control the land (the ground, the dirt) of Eretz Yisrael, or better to strengthen the families of the frum Jews, and especially the Talmud Hachamim who learn all day — however based on the few millenia, Shas does have history on its side that it is making what in the long term is the correct decision
#5
I dont really consider it all that big of a jump in logic to conclude that bad things happen to people who kick jews out of their home.
Yes I can’t offer “direct” proof that Hashem turned Sharon into a carrot but the implication seems to be there.
Either way, kicking Jews out of their homes never yields positive results.