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Olmert: "very serious" about negotiations, "Thanks God" he got Bush
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| By Israel Insider staff January 9, 2008 |
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| Olmert presents a bicycling outfit to his guest. (Flash90) |
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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday that both Israelis and Palestinians are "very seriously" trying to move forward to realize the vision of a two-state solution. This despite the fact that they can't agree about about anything. US President George Bush said that all issues must be discussed in the framework of negotiations, including the Palestinian right of return. He said "illegal" outposts "must go." Previously he had been in the habit of calling them "unauthorized." Apparently now he plans to get serious.
"The outposts, yeah, they ought to go. Look, we've been talking about it for four years. The agreement was get rid of outposts, illegal outposts, and they ought to go."
US National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, who briefed reporters after the talks, said the settlement issue came up during the meeting, and Bush said there was an obligation under the road map to "stop all settlement expansion." The US president made clear that the obligation involved removing the outposts, Hadley said.
He also said that "time was awasting," regarding the bilateral Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and that Bush queried Olmert about "about how we are going to get this done, about what is his negotiating strategy."
Olmert said that the time was just ideal for the establishment of a Palestinian state, because there is a president friendly to Israel, and because the Palestinians are led by "moderates".
"I say thank God that I can engage in diplomatic negotiations with Bush being one of my partners. Thank God that we can engage in diplomatic talks when the world's greatest power is headed by such a friend of Israel," the prime minister said, seriously.
Olmert said Israel was serious about implementing the Road map Peace plan. "Both sides, I believe, are very seriously trying to move forward in order to realize the vision" of two states living side by side in peace, Olmert said.
Bush said that peace meant concessions from both sides and added that illegal Israeli outposts in the West Bank must be removed. He also said that Arab states must "support the Palestinians as they make tough choices." The president added that he was "very hopeful" an agreement could be achieved.
Referring to rocket attacks on southern Israel Wednesday, Olmert said "there will be no peace unless terror is stopped," even though he has no clue about how to stop them. Israel "Will not tolerate the continuation of these vicious attacks," he said. President Bush says he will tell West Bank chieftain Mahmoud Abbas that his territory "cannot be a safe haven for terrorists," although Abbas has no ability to stop Hamas or anyone else in Gaza, after having been driven from there on the run. The president said that he intends to ask Abbas what he plans to do about the ongoing rocket attacks. "That's the first thing I'm going to ask him," he said. Seriously.
Meanwhile, both leaders made it clear following their meeting that the Iranian threat must be taken seriously. Very seriously. Prime Minister Olmert said that he was encouraged by the US position on this issue, although it was crystal clear that the US will not take or even support military action to remove the growing nuclear threat.
But both were very serious when they discussed it. Very serious.
The highlight of the event was when the two exchanged gifts. Olmert gave Bush a a bicycling outfit and a GPS so that he could navigate the driveway to his ranch. Bush gave Olmert a socker ball with American and Israeli flags.
Seriously. |
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