Israel Matzav

Abu Bluff's latest Olmert story

In May 2009, 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen told the Washington Post's Jackson Diehl that he turned down an offer received from then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert in late 2008 because it wasn't good enough. Subsequently, Abu Bluff claimed that he really wanted to accept the offer, but didn't because Olmert was about to be forced from office. Now Abu Bluff has a new story to tell. In a meeting with a group of Leftist Israeli MK's, he claimed that he really wanted to negotiate with Israel during Operation Cast Lead, but the Israelis refused to negotiate.

Abbas revealed that he and Olmert had finalized an agreement on security issues which was approved by the Bush administration, Olmert himself, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. He said the document remains in the possession of the US National Security Council.

On borders, Abbas said that he had a difference of opinion with Olmert about whether a proposed land swap would comprise 6.5% of the West Bank territory as Olmert wanted, or 1.9% which he had offered. Abbas revealed for the first time that he was willing to continue the talks about how to bridge the gap despite the fact that Operation Cast Lead had begun, but the Olmert administration refused.

"The war began on December 22, but we still wanted to go to Washington to meet with the Israelis," Abbas said. "[PA negotiator] Saeb Erekat called [Olmert's diplomatic adviser Shalom] Turgeman and told him he was willing to go talks on January 2. Turgeman said he couldn't go because there was a war. We said we should be protesting, not you. We still wanted to go. He refused, and everything has been left as is since then. This is the real story about the negotiations between us and Olmert."

Abbas said that during eight months of talks with Olmert, progress was made on borders, water and Jerusalem, and that he was sorry that the only issue finalized was security.

He complained that while he gave Olmert a map of his proposed final borders, Olmert showed him two maps but did not let him keep either of them. Abbas then complained about what has happened since Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama replaced Olmert and then-US president George W. Bush.

Abu Bluff had some stories to tell about 'our friend Obama' as well. And he allegedly served 'glatt Kosher' food in the Mukhata.

Read the whole thing.

Do you believe Abu Bluff? I don't.

Labels: Abu Mazen, Ehud K. Olmert, George W. Bush, Jackson Diehl, Palestinian state

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:41 PM