Ehud Olmert, the former Prime Minister of Israel who has recently resigned from his position after being investigated under suspicion of receiving unlawful sums of money said something this past Monday that had never before been said by any Israeli leader prior to him.
“We have to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, the meaning of which is that in practice we will withdraw from almost all the territories, if not all the territories. We will leave a percentage of these territories in our hands, but will have to give the Palestinians a similar percentage, because without that there will be no peace,” said Olmert as reported by New York Times Journalist, Ethan Bronner.
Olmert castigates Israeli military strategist who for decades he says have been “stuck in the considerations of the 1948 war of Independence.” He believes that military action is obviously no longer the answer to the conflict, but that now Israel and Palestine more than ever must reach an agreement that would unquestionably result in Israel returning the occupied areas of Palestine.
“The time has come to say these things” says Olmert who in accordance with Israeli law has become the leader of an interim government until a new prime minister is appointed and sworn in.
The comments have faced severe criticism (Israeli Newspaper, Haaretz) by many Israelis who think that such comments so close to his departure from the government are ill-timed and not well thought out.
Yossi Beilin, former chairman of the left-wing social democratic Israeli political party, Meretz, said that "Olmert has committed the unforgivable sin of revealing his truce stance on Israel's national interest just when he has nothing left to lose.”
Olmert has guaranteed that his outgoing government will continue to participate in negotiations towards peace with Palestine. However, talks are allegedly not progressing because he lacks full support both from the political body of Israeli administration as well as the people who doubt his moral authority in handling the ongoing conflicts revolving around the state in result of his investigation.
“We have to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, the meaning of which is that in practice we will withdraw from almost all the territories, if not all the territories. We will leave a percentage of these territories in our hands, but will have to give the Palestinians a similar percentage, because without that there will be no peace,” said Olmert as reported by New York Times Journalist, Ethan Bronner.
Olmert castigates Israeli military strategist who for decades he says have been “stuck in the considerations of the 1948 war of Independence.” He believes that military action is obviously no longer the answer to the conflict, but that now Israel and Palestine more than ever must reach an agreement that would unquestionably result in Israel returning the occupied areas of Palestine.
“The time has come to say these things” says Olmert who in accordance with Israeli law has become the leader of an interim government until a new prime minister is appointed and sworn in.
The comments have faced severe criticism (Israeli Newspaper, Haaretz) by many Israelis who think that such comments so close to his departure from the government are ill-timed and not well thought out.
Yossi Beilin, former chairman of the left-wing social democratic Israeli political party, Meretz, said that "Olmert has committed the unforgivable sin of revealing his truce stance on Israel's national interest just when he has nothing left to lose.”
Olmert has guaranteed that his outgoing government will continue to participate in negotiations towards peace with Palestine. However, talks are allegedly not progressing because he lacks full support both from the political body of Israeli administration as well as the people who doubt his moral authority in handling the ongoing conflicts revolving around the state in result of his investigation.
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