JERUSALEM, May 2, 2007
Israeli Foreign Minister To PM: Step Down
Popular Cabinet Member Calls On Olmert To Resign Following Lebanon War Report
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The once and future prime ministers of Israel? Foreign minister Tzipi Livni and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at a cabinet meeting, May 2, 2007. (AFP/Getty)
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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah speaking in Beirut's southern suburbs, May 2, 2007. (AFP/Getty)
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Interactive Mideast Conflict Events, key players and a history of the world's most unstable region.
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Photo Essay Fragile Cease-Fire Tens of thousands of Lebanese return home and some Israeli troops withdraw as tenuous cease-fire takes hold.
"I told him that resignation would be the right thing for him to do," said Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, the most popular politician in Olmert's Kadima Party and the best placed to succeed him as party leader — and possibly as prime minister.
Livni is the most senior official to join a flood of calls for Olmert's resignation, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger.
At an emergency meeting, Olmert told members of his ruling party on Wednesday that he plans to stay on to shepherd through recommendations proposed by the government panel on the war, his spokesman said.
In other developments:
(AFP/Getty)
Livni said she would remain in government "to ensure that improvements are carried out." Livni, Olmert's top rival in the party, said she believed Kadima could replace Olmert without holding new elections.
Under Israel's parliamentary system, Kadima could change leaders without losing power. Livni said when Kadima holds its party primary, she would run for the leadership. No primary date has been set.
"It's not a personal matter between me and the prime minister — this issue is more important than both of us," Livni said.
This week's report has fueled a growing chorus of calls for Olmert's resignation, including from members of his coalition government.
The 34-day war has been widely perceived as a failure. Monday's report said Olmert bore ultimate responsibility, accusing him of poor judgment, hasty decision making and lack of vision.
A defiant Olmert opened the special Cabinet session by hinting that reports of his political demise were premature. "To those who are eager to take advantage of this report to reap certain political advantages, I suggest 'slow down,'" he said in comments broadcast on Israeli media.
Israel Radio has reported that Defense Minister Amir Peretz, also the target of fierce criticism over Israel's prosecution of the Lebanon war, may decide to resign his post as early as Wednesday.
Two new polls published in Israeli newspapers Wednesday said some two-thirds of Israelis want Olmert to resign immediately. The surveys indicated that the hawkish former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu of the opposition Likud Party, would likely win handily if new elections were held.
Since the report was issued, Olmert has been scrambling to hold his coalition together. One minister from the Labor Party, the junior coalition partner, already has quit, and there have been increasing signs of eroding support within Kadima.
In a new blow to Olmert, the chairman of Kadima's parliamentary faction, Avigdor Yitzhaki, resigned and called for the prime minister to do likewise.
"In order for Kadima to return to being a legitimate ruling party and for the sake of the prime minister and for the sake of the entire country, I think the prime minister has to resign," he told Israel Radio. "He has to take this responsibility and resign."
The war broke out last July 12 after Hezbollah guerrillas crossed into Israel, killed three soldiers and captured two others. Olmert's public support, high in the early days of the war, nose-dived after the fighting ended without Israel's achieving the two goals Olmert declared — crushing Hezbollah and recovering the captured soldiers.
On Thursday, Olmert's opponents from all sides planned a show of strength at a demonstration in downtown Tel Aviv. Its size and composition could go a long way toward showing Olmert whether he can weather the storm.
On May 28, the Labor Party, Olmert's main coalition partner, holds a primary election where Peretz, also a target of criticism from the inquiry commission, is likely to be replaced.
Two of the four candidates opposing Peretz have called on Olmert to resign, and Labor could well leave his coalition, probably forcing elections.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- Has anyone tried to speak there mind on FREE ALJAZEER ? They say you have freedom of speach and you do as long as it is what they want you to say . Your opinion is not allowed if it is not the same as thiers . tipical M.E. attitude .
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- Its time for him to step down and let someone who is willing to talk to the palestinians do the job . He will never listen to them and they will never listen to him . someone daid they should make the land they are fighting over a park . This could be the best solution to the problem . An international park would beautify the region and show that they can work together .
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- Why does American media cover Israel all the time is it another state of America? If so lets make is such and have it pay taxes it gets Billions of aid from America for 50 years now!
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- WANT THE ISRAELI PERSPCTIVE ON THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT ??
GO TO:
www.btselem.org
it's woth you time if you in any way want to understand what's happening there and how we must react to help avoid another generation of terrorism. - Reply to this comment
- Where is the logic? You wage war, you lose land, and then you expect it back. How rediculous! The Muslims need to build for the future, not throw away the futures of their children. Isn't it time to build better lives for your children. Denounce war and terrorism and become part of the modern world.
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- Copy/Paste from YnetNews.com:
'An Olmert aide said the prime minister would be forced to fire Livni. "After she did what she did, there is no other alternative but to fire her, as her conduct was improper," Tal Zilberstein, Olmert's strategic advisor told Ynet.'
-So Tzipi, you better shut up. Condi did not ask for Walking-Liar's resignation. Save yer butt and shut-upp... a real Cabala tradition... - Reply to this comment
- oops - down below, I meant to ask does Lebanon and Israel really want peace or do they just want to win in that same way Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump just keep going at each other in a way that's not productive (I hope people don't feel like I'm trivializing the situation in any way by likening it to those two - I guess my point was just that maybe the fighting is really bringing people down and I didn't quite know how to make that point another way - sorry if anybody's offended :) )
- Reply to this comment
- "Israel has occupied Palestinian lands, confiscating large tracts for over 40 years in spite of UN Resolutions and yearly demands that they return to their 1967 borders. They cause innocent loss of life, have turned what's left of Palestine into a giant open air prison. Please visit the israeli human rights site at www.btselem.org and inform yourself from the israeli perspective."
Posted by neoconRcrazy
That's the take I got on the situation from reading a couple of articles but I wasn't sure because oftentimes the reports make the situation out to be so much more complicated than it apparently is!
They were having a seemingly similar problem of violence over a tract of land between Argentina and Chile and apparently they were able to broker peace by turning the disputed land into a park . . . and apparently they're trying to do the same thing between parts of India and Pakistan.
I guess if the problem is really just about land then just turning it into a park would seemingly solve the problem . . . but people get so emotionally wrapped up in the issues sometimes I think they lose sight of the big picture - like do Lebanon really want peace or do they want to win? In Iraq at least I can appreciate that the oil makes Sunnis and Shiites want to fight for control rather than cooperate, but between Lebanon and Israel, I'm not sure the stakes are really as complicated as those involved make it out to be (?) - Reply to this comment
- Lars, didntinhale, etc...
question for you... i com eon here once in a while to make my opinions on various news stories... but you are here 24/7!! Can you explain to me why it is you're on here so much? Also, why is it that you do nothing but propogandize over and over and over again? What is your real motive? It's pretty sad really. I suggest getting a productive hobby. The world already knows your GOD (George Bush) has failed multiple times, why bother with your endless tirade against the left? But seriously..24/7... get a life somehow. Get out from your mother's basement and go take a look outside, it is sunny sometimes. You may even make some friends. - Reply to this comment
- I NO LONGER SUPPORT THE OCCUPATION
The real %u201Coccupation%u201D
1400 years of muslim occupation
muslims, whose home is Arabia, have occupied and brutalized for centuries.
During that time, non muslims have...
been murdered en masse
had their land stolen
their holy places destroyed and desecrated
been sold into slavery
their women raped
their children butchered
and the arabs have the nerve to whine about "occupation" when non muslims fight back
I NO LONGER SUPPORT MUSLIM OCCUPATION - Reply to this comment
- "Everybody in politics lies, but they [the Clintons] do it with such ease, it%u2019s troubling,%u201D Geffen said.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003548043
hahahaha people paying to listen to an admitted, proven, convicted, impeached, disbarred liar%u2026lol
For Clinton, New Wealth In Speeches
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/22/AR2007022202189.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/21/AR2007022100993_pf.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17263999/ - Reply to this comment
- Imagine Condi saying to walking-liar Bush: Georgie-honey you gotta step down.
-Seriously speaking: This is an article from the ECONOMIST saying how much Israel has been a rogue state even for USA GOP presidents...
http://www.geocities.com/d_elazar/Terrorism/peacemaker.htm - Reply to this comment
- Israelis have a hard time admitting they make mistakes. That's because it may show weakness and then they will more vulnerable to the Arab terrorists and world opinion. Europe is always ready to trounce on Israel.
Posted by cathaleen
sorry cathsleen (irish?)but the report doesn't criticize what the oldmutt government did, but rather that they were totally unsuccessful in doing it!
israel has occupied Palestinian lands, confiscating large tracts for over 40 years in spite of UN Resolutions and yearly demands that they return to their 1967 borders. They cause innocent loss of life, have turned what's left of Palestine into a giant open air prison. Please visit the israeli human rights site at www.btselem.org and inform yourself from the israeli perspective. - Reply to this comment
- He still seems to have support in the US, as this, albeit early, poll suggests...
http://www.buzzdash.com/?page=buzzbite&BB_id=14979 - Reply to this comment
- Israelis have a hard time admitting they make mistakes. That's because it may show weakness and then they will more vulnerable to the Arab terrorists and world opinion. Europe is always ready to trounce on Israel.
- Reply to this comment
- From the story:
"the Prime Minister thinks that he is the right person (and refuses to resign) . . ."
There is no one who is indispensable. Who do these people think they are?
Olmert sounds like George Bush. Who also sounds like Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler and all other dictators or dictator wannabes (I am the ONLY person who can lead these morons) throughout history.
Olmert & Bush should both be in prison awaiting trials for war crimes. The massive and unnecessary bombing of Lebanon was as much a war crime as Bush's illegal invasion of Iraq. - Reply to this comment
- Where are all your PNAC and AIPAC friends now oldmutt ?
Where do all the dried blood on-their-hands neocons go when they die ? - Reply to this comment
- Olmert must be taking his cues from Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, gonzales et al.. Hold on no matter what. Blame all mistakes on others. Dig those fingernails in, don't release any information, ignore the rule of law and compliance to subpoenas and just keep repeating he is right--like a mantra. That's the ticket.
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- It is not anti Semitic to believe there are millions of other good people in the Middle East with valid concerns! 50 years of bleeding, and buying support for Israel is enough! Play nice or America is leaving the Entire Middle East!
Even Eisenhower had problems with Israeli groups but he did not let them buy him!
READ AS THEY BRAG ABOUT THEIR INFLUENCE ON OUR GOVERNMENT!
http://www.aipac.org/forms/join_aipacClubs.htm
Founded in 1953 by Isaiah L. "Si" Kenen, AIPAC's original name was the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs. According to UCLA political science professor and author, Steven Spiegel, "the tension between the Eisenhower administration and Israeli supporters was so acute that there were rumors that the administration would investigate the American Zionist Council. Therefore, an independent lobbying committee was formed, which years later was renamed [AIPAC]." [SPIEGEL, p. 52].[citation needed] Today, AIPAC has over 100,000 members.[1]
Activities and stated goals AIPAC's stated purpose is to lobby the Congress of the United States on issues and legislation "to ensure that the U.S.-Israel relationship is strong so that both countries can work together" to meet the challenges of "stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, fighting terrorism and achieving peace".[2] The New York Times described AIPAC on July 6, 1987 as "a major force in shaping United States policy in the Middle East." - Reply to this comment
- He is just like our president desparte to hold on to something he no longer has. Why are all the right wing such wackos and wing nuts?
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