Wow. It's breathtaking. Olmert made an offer to Abbas that was better than any offer Israel had ever made since 1967, and that was pre-settlement! So one must now conclude that Israel does indeed want a two state solution, while the Palestinians - at least their leadership - apparently do not and never have!
This is stunning, illuminating, and provacative! Holy Shit! No more motor mouthing please about who wants a solution and who does not! Israel clearly does and always has! Well, actually it's time to motor mouth that reality everywhere!
Here's conclusive proof! Abbas this past week:
In our meeting Wednesday, Abbas acknowledged that Olmert had shown him a map proposing a Palestinian state on 97 percent of the West Bank -- though he complained that the Israeli leader refused to give him a copy of the plan. He confirmed that Olmert "accepted the principle" of the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees -- something no previous Israeli prime minister had done -- and offered to resettle thousands in Israel.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
In all, Olmert's peace offer was more generous to the Palestinians than either that of Bush or Bill Clinton; it's almost impossible to imagine Obama, or any Israeli government, going further.
And what is Abbas, who turned down that incredible offer, planning today? Oh, not much, he's waiting for other parties to step up. Of course when Israel stepped up with an incredible offer, one that he himself acknowledges was on the table, he stepped aside!
Holy shit!
Instead, he says, he will remain passive. "I will wait for Hamas to accept international commitments. I will wait for Israel to freeze settlements," he said. "Until then, in the West Bank we have a good reality . . . the people are living a normal life." In the Obama administration, so far, it's easy being Palestinian.
And in case anyone's thinking that Jerusalem wasn't mentioned , here's what Olmert had to say regarding dividing Jerusalem.
JERUSALEM, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert signalled on Tuesday Israel might have no choice but to share Jerusalem with the Palestinians in a peace deal, citing international pressure for compromise over the holy city.
"The world that is friendly to Israel ... that really supports Israel, when it speaks of the the future, it speaks of Israel in terms of the '67 borders. It speaks of the division of Jerusalem," Olmert said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.
Olmert's comments appeared to be another move by the prime minister to prepare Israeli public opinion for the possibility of a deal that would loosen Israel's control of all of Jerusalem.
http://www.reuters.com/...
Olmert made an incredible offer! The Palestinians turned it down! This is breathtaking!
Another bombshell!
Thank you Olmert for making such a great offer. Who wants peace and two states? You know it, it starts with an "I".
Israel!
moon