Is Olmert's 'peace plan' the final nail in Livni's coffin?
The Likud has called for an emergency session of the Knesset next week to discuss the 'peace plan' proposed on Thursday by Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert to special United States Middle East envoy George Mitchell. According to Olmert’s plan, Israel would retreat from most territory within Judea and Samaria and maintain large settlement blocks. Israel would evacuate [forcibly expel. CiJ] 60,000 residents from their homes as part of the plan.Unsurprisingly, the Likud has disavowed the plan and has said that it will not bind the State of Israel or the Likud should the Likud win the February 10 election.
In addition, Olmert agreed to transfer Arab neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority. Holy sites in Jerusalem would be placed under an international authority. In addition, a highway and a series of tunnels would connect Gaza to Judea and Samaria. As part of the plan, Olmert did refuse to allow the return to Israel of Arabs who left when the modern Jewish state was formed and their descendants.
Likud Knesset Member Gidon Sa’ar said, “This plan is dangerous and abandons the security of Israel. It will bring Hamas’ missiles to Tel-Aviv and the center of the country.” The Likud party stated that “this plan does not obligate Israel nor the Likud headed by Binyamin Netanyahu.”But Olmert didn't introduce his 'plan' today to hurt the Likud or Netanyahu. Yes, these things tend to have a life of their own, and it's possible that this 'plan' will come up in the future, but realistically there's nothing in it that hasn't been said before.
Believe it or not, Olmert introduced this plan to help Netanyahu. You may recall that it was Livni and Barak who orchestrated forcing Olmert out of office. Olmert is furious with them, and because of that he actually wants the Likud to win the election. Bringing up his little 'plan' today was a reminder that Olmert's plan is quite similar to what Livni has quietly agreed with 'Palestinian' negotiator
In the statement, the Likud said that Kadima chairman Tzipi Livni, “who is a full participant in the negotiations with the Palestinians, already has announced immediately after her election in Kadima that she will continue in the way of Olmert regarding Palestinian and Syrian ties. Now the choice is clear to Israeli citizens – it’s either the continuation of Kadima’s way of concessions and withdrawals which endanger security, or the Likud’s way of advancing a responsible process in a position of strength and to safeguard Israel’s security interests.”Except that every Livni campaign ad says that we have to reach a 'territorial compromise' with the 'Palestinians,' without which we will not be able to remain a 'Jewish and democratic state.' She even castigates her own father in her campaign ads for his having abstained in the vote on the Camp David accords with Egypt 30 years ago (and he apparently wanted to vote against them but she talked him out of it).
...
Livni told students at the College of Tel Aviv-Yafo on Thursday that the plan "does not represent me or what I'm promoting." Livni said she would only promote an agreement that represents Israel's best interests, which she said included "Keeping the maximum number of settlers, keeping places that are important to us - at the head of the list, Jerusalem. No refugee would enter."
So Olmert's tactic should work like a charm. By raising fears of what Livni might do, he drives more voters to the Likud and ensures that Livni - and Barak - will never be Prime Minister.
And by the way, Olmert's 'plan' isn't enough for the 'Palestinians' anyway. They will never agree to any 'plan' that doesn't allow them to flood the remainder of the Jewish state with 'refugees.'
UPDATE FRIDAY 1:54 AM
This one gets even worse for Livni.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni suffered a blow from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday when Yediot Aharonot revealed concessions that he and Livni allegedly made to the Palestinians.Heh.
According to the report, Olmert told US envoy George Mitchell that he and Livni agreed to divide Jerusalem, maintain only settlement blocs in the West Bank and uproot 60,000 Jews from their homes.
The revelations of the concessions less than two weeks before the February 10 election reportedly upset Livni, who told confidants that she believed Olmert, her predecessor as Kadima leader, was purposely harming her.
...
Olmert's associates denied any intention of harming Livni and said they were not behind the leak to the newspaper.
"Any attempt to accuse the prime minister of purposely harming [Livni's campaign] is baseless and wicked," a source close to Olmert said. "The prime minister met with Kadima leaders on Sunday and said that he was ready to help with anything they wanted. I don't know of any request received from them since then."
Livni's opponent in the election, Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu, said he would not feel obligated by any of Olmert's commitments if he won the race for prime minister. He accused Livni of secretly making dangerous concessions to the Palestinians.
"She said she was a partner to all the decisions made by the Kadima government," Netanyahu told Army Radio. "Now we see what she decided and what she conceded."
Netanyahu vowed to not uproot any Jews from their homes if elected.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:41 PM
8 Comments:
It can be called Ehud Olmert's final revenge. Its so ridiculous it has no prospect of ever being realized and you correctly observed, it won't be enough for the Palestinians since the real aim never was, isn't and never will be statehood.
just how is this peace plan different from those previously put forward and nearly agreed upon? and is this not more or less what the final settlement will look like? does the Likud-right realistically expect a different peace plan? based on his previous actions as PM, i suspect bibi will pursue this course of action, albeit slower and with more posturing.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Zimmee, Israel could give the Palestinians the moon and it still wouldn't be enough for them. Back in 2000, Arafat received 95% of what he wanted and he chose to reject Israel's offer and wage war upon the Jewish State. What the Palestinians really want is 100% of Israel and no Israeli government on earth can give it to then. No country will commit national suicide and Israelis have stopped feeling guilty about the Palestinians' plight. The feeling is they are responsible for their condition and they have to change and Israel is not going to change to suit them. In other words, they can take it or leave it.
Unfortunately for you, you do not speak on behalf of "Israelis", but at most, +/-, on behalf of 50%. At the end of the day, this Orthodox settler understands that the 95%, give or take, is what we will give them, even though they do not deserve it, but because it is in our best interest. That is, if we want to remain Jewish and democratic, and not apartheid-like. remember also, that bibi during his 1st stint as PM assessed property value on the Golan because he realized what price we have to pay. Finally, ask yourself, why no right-wing government ever enacted a Yesha-Law as we did with Jerusalem and the Golan? Answer - because no rational national leader ever believed we would be able to maintain a presence there for long. At the end of day pragmatism must prevail.
Zimmee, if pragmatism means giving up Judea and Samaria and putting all of Israel's coastal plan within firing range of Hamas rockets, do you have an answer for it? Because Israel's leaders still have no answer to the security situation in Gaza and Sderot was turned into an Israeli Guernica. Now try to imagine that situation in Israel's crowded population centers. At the end of the day, that kind of "pragmatism" you mindlessly advocate would be the beginning of the end of the Jewish State.
I have to observe Carl - there is no love lost between Olmert and Livni and he is trying his best to undermine her standing with the voters. And with the revelations leaked to Ynet, he will probably succeed.
Zimmee,
This 'plan' differs from the others in that it's been offered to Abu Mazen and not to the media. It's supposedly been 'agreed' with Abu Allah.
But NormanF is right. It will never happen. It will never happen because the 'Palestinians' don't want peace. They want to destroy the State of Israel. Go back and read the Michael Totten piece I posted earlier in the week. Amazing that a goy from the Pacific Northwest gets it more clearly than someone who describes himself as an 'Orthodox settler,' but such is the age in which we live.
Post a Comment
<< Home