Nov. 29, 2007
Olmert: Palestinian State Vital To Israel
Israeli P.M. Warns Otherwise "Israel Is Finished" With Apartheid-Like Struggle
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President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas walk back to the Oval Office after Mr. Bush spoke in the White House Rose Garden, Nov. 28, 2007. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty)
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President Bush, center, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, right, makes a statement on the Middle East peace process in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. (Getty Images)
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President Bush, center, walks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, to the opening session of the Mideast conference at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, shake hands as President Bush looks on at center, during the opening session of the Mideast conference at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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Photo Essay Annapolis Summit U.S. hosts high-stakes Mideast peace conference at U.S. Naval Academy.
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Interactive Mideast Conflict Events, key players and a history of the world's most unstable region.
Such a scenario, he said, would mean "the state of Israel is finished."
While Olmert has long said that the region's demography is working against Israel, the comments published in Haaretz were among his strongest as he prepares a skeptical public for the renewed peace talks launched at this week's conference in Annapolis, Md.
It will be a hard sell, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger: two polls show that 42 to 50 percent of Israelis believe Annapolis was a failure.
Olmert's reference to apartheid was particularly explosive because Israeli officials have long rejected any comparison to the racist system once in place in South Africa.
Olmert was en route back to Israel at midday Thursday, and his office could not immediately confirm the accuracy of the published comments in Haaretz.
In other developments:
Before leaving Washington, Olmert briefed Israeli reporters and gave a different interpretation to the Annapolis summit, reports CBS News correspondent Howard Arenstein. Olmert said that even if the two sides reach an agreement by the end of 2008, that doesn't mean Israel will have to implement it until it gets what it wants from the Palestinians. That includes peaceful relations with Gaza and other Palestinian obligations from the "road map" peace plan.
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That's unlikely to happen. Hamas warns it won't allow Abbas to implement Phase 1 of the road map plan, dismantling militant groups. Hamas official Halil Abu Lelleh said the Annapolis conference gave the U.S. the authority to wipe out the armed struggle, reports Berger. He described the U.S. as the enemy of the Palestinian cause.We are looking for a two-state solution, not a three-state solution.
National Security Adviser Stephen HadleyThe Palestinians want to form an independent state in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and east Jerusalem - areas that Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war.
Many Israeli demographers believe that with their higher birthrate, the Arab population of these areas, combined with Israel's own Arab population, could soon exceed the Jewish population in Israel.
Jews are a solid majority inside Israel proper, comprising roughly 80 percent of the population of 7 million. However, if the West Bank and Gaza are included, Arabs already comprise nearly half the population of the region.
To ensure that Israel can maintain its character as a democracy with a solid Jewish majority, Olmert supports a large withdrawal from the West Bank and parts of east Jerusalem, following Israel's pullout in 2005 from Gaza.
"The day will come when the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights," Olmert told Haaretz. "As soon as that happens, the state of Israel is finished."
Israel's 1.5 million Arab citizens have the right to vote. But the estimated 3.9 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza do not have Israeli citizenship.
In the interview, Olmert warned that Israel risks losing the support of influential American Jewish groups if it retains control of the Palestinians.
"The Jewish organizations, which were our power base in America, will be the first to come out against us," he said, "because they will say they cannot support a state that does not support democracy and equal voting rights for all its residents."
Olmert, a hard-liner early in his career, in recent years has repeatedly warned that Israel cannot remain both Jewish and democratic if it holds on to the West Bank and Gaza. But he has never used the South African analogy in public, though officials say he recently made the same argument in a closed meeting with lawmakers.
At the U.S. peace conference in Annapolis, Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas formally relaunched peace talks, which broke down in violence seven years ago, and pledged to reach an agreement next year.
© 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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- [Olmert said] "failure to reach a peace agreement could plunge Israel into a South African-style apartheid struggle."
Wow, so Israel finally admits they have been oppressing the Palestinians like South Africa did to the Africans! Good on them, in my travels in South Africa, most of the whites I talked to were happier now that their country has renounced apartheid - and why not, oppressing people rarely makes you feel better about yourself in the long run.
Posted by pakaal at 02:00 PM : Nov 30, 2007,,,
You may be on to something, the U.S. should pass a Law that all illegal immigrants must receive the legal U.S. minimum wage! Watch how fast we solve our illegal immigrant problem! - Reply to this comment
- Would it be such a bad thing if the state of Israel was "finished"? Oops. Me say something bad.
- Reply to this comment
- Well, the one on the right was on the left
And the one in the middle was on the right
And the one on the left was in the middle
And the guy in the rear was a Methodist - Reply to this comment
- [Olmert said] "failure to reach a peace agreement could plunge Israel into a South African-style apartheid struggle."
Wow, so Israel finally admits they have been oppressing the Palestinians like South Africa did to the Africans! Good on them, in my travels in South Africa, most of the whites I talked to were happier now that their country has renounced apartheid - and why not, oppressing people rarely makes you feel better about yourself in the long run. - Reply to this comment
- "...failure to reach a peace agreement could plunge Israel into a South African-style apartheid struggle.
Such a scenario, he said, would mean "the state of Israel is finished."
Odd, Ahmadinejad was thoroughly roasted by the "invade Iran" warmongers for this very same statement. He knows that Israel doesn''t want, and never has wanted, a viable Palestinian state. He knows that Israel and the US will make totally unreasonable conditions, which Palestine will be forced to reject, and then they will try to make the Palestinians out to be the "bad guys".
This meeting is doomed to fail, and the continuation of apartheid will be the beginning of the spiral to the end for Israel.
Just like Olmert, and Ahmadinejad, have said. - Reply to this comment
- -Unfortunately it''''''''s not Democrats who were at the origin of this step... Nontheless, Repukons are waking up and feeling the heat had they not done this summit in Annapolis. Barrack was going to pull the carpet under their feet.
Posted by grazinggoat at 06:30 PM : Nov 29, 2007,,,
I don''''t agree with you a lot but, bullseye!
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Posted by tbweb at 11:25 PM : Nov 29, 2007
-We don''t need to agree, all the time, but like the chiefs, who don''t agree, end up by giving up their stone-carved ideas, beliefs and political approaches... One is anything but intelligent if their pre-conceived views are not self-criticised, adjusted. A bit to the right for lefties and a bit of decent of liberal pragmatism for rightwing neo-cons, and people can get to shake hands. - Reply to this comment
- CBS News: ''''Olmert: Palestinian State Vital To Israel
Israeli P.M. Warns Otherwise "Israel Is Finished" With Apartheid-Like Struggle''''
- Can''''t believe it. This reetaarrd is saying, now, what we were saying for decades, at least thinking! LOL!
-Stayin'''' over 50 yrs encapsulated like a germ capsule in the host body, as if it were in a hostile environment cannot be, and is just not successful.
-Communications and public relation activities such as this meeting are essential to warm the relations between the two belligerent people, for inter-relations to start and develop.
-Muslims and Jews are alike, in their solitude in the world, pragmatism of life view...
-Unfortunately it''''s not Democrats who were at the origin of this step... Nontheless, Repukons are waking up and feeling the heat had they not done this summit in Annapolis. Barrack was going to pull the carpet under their feet.
Posted by grazinggoat at 06:30 PM : Nov 29, 2007,,,
I don''t agree with you a lot but, bullseye! - Reply to this comment
- CBS News: ''Olmert: Palestinian State Vital To Israel
Israeli P.M. Warns Otherwise "Israel Is Finished" With Apartheid-Like Struggle''
- Can''t believe it. This reetaarrd is saying, now, what we were saying for decades, at least thinking! LOL!
-Stayin'' over 50 yrs encapsulated like a germ capsule in the host body, as if it were in a hostile environment cannot be, and is just not successful.
-Communications and public relation activities such as this meeting are essential to warm the relations between the two belligerent people, for inter-relations to start and develop.
-Muslims and Jews are alike, in their solitude in the world, pragmatism of life view...
-Unfortunately it''s not Democrats who were at the origin of this step... Nontheless, Repukons are waking up and feeling the heat had they not done this summit in Annapolis. Barrack was going to pull the carpet under their feet. - Reply to this comment
- If a Palestinian state were "vital" to Israel, as Olmert claims, they could have come to an agreement years ago. The Israeli regime finds it impossible to utter a word of truth.
Livni knows good and well that they have no relations with her government...they have nothing to say to her officially...that is what "non recognition" is all about...yet CBS simply prints her whining without comment...And Condumlizzard Lice''s attempt to equate her experience in the South with the daily life of the Palestinians is patently absurd...Even the apartheid of the old South African regime does not approach the ghetto-ization, murder, kidnappings, arrests, torture and abuse that Palestinians face daily.
If the Arab states have anything to contribute it would be to advise Bush and his fellow clowns that they are not married to the dollar and the Western Oil cartel and Bush can either press Israel for peace or Americans will be pushing their cars to work when they start selling crude on the Iranian international oil market in Euros...that might get the negotiations going...yes, indeedy. - Reply to this comment
- realpatriot1,,,,, It''s a double CD, he''ll eat some cookies & fall asleep
- Reply to this comment
- j-whitman,
Bad idea. You don''t want to get Lars high, he''s paranoid enough already. - Reply to this comment
- terrorislam6---Lars,,,, Go to Wal*Mart buy the new Eagles CD, sit back & smoke a fatty.... You''ll feel better
- Reply to this comment
- Is islam a violation of international law???
islam practices slavery on non muslims
islam practices apartheid on non muslims
islam practices rape on non muslims
islam practices rape on babies and animals
islam practices genocide on non muslims
all are violations of international law and are crimes against humanity
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/22/world/main2505445.shtml
Imam Khomeini - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
http://www.homa.org/Details.asp?ContentID=2137352826&TOCID=2083225445
Malaysia women ''suffer apartheid''
The daughter of Malaysia''s former prime minister has launched a scathing attack on the roles and status of Muslim women in the country.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4784784.stm
A matter of tolerance
http://musingwithmarinamahathir.blogspot.com/2006/12/matter-of-tolerance.html
Marina Mahathir
http://musingwithmarinamahathir.blogspot.com/
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=slavery+islam&btnG=Search
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4795808.stm
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=apartheid islam
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=rape islam
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=rape islam babies&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=genocide islam&btnG=Search - Reply to this comment
- NONE OF US IS FREE UNLESS ALL ARE FREE!!!
None Of Us Are Free - Lynyrd Skynyrd
http://www.lyrics007.com/Lynyrd%20Skynyrd%20Lyrics/None%20Of%20Us%20Are%20Free%20Lyrics.html
WHY IS IT NOT ONE MUSLIM COUNTRY GRANTS EQUAL RIGHTS TO NON MUSLIMS???
FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM SAYS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATES ISLAM LAW...
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
For example, in 1981, the Iranian representative to the United Nations, Said Rajaie-Khorassani, articulated the position of his country regarding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by saying that the UDHR was "a secular understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition", which could not be implemented by Muslims without trespassing the Islamic law.
http://www.un.org/terrorism/
http://www.un.org/terrorism/strategy-counter-terrorism.html
http://www.un.org/
But the accepted assumption in India is that most of India''s Muslims were converted to Islam through the sword. Meaning the Indians were given an option between death or adopting Islam. The third option was getting examined in Islam religion along with heavy taxes- Jeziya (poll tax) and Kharaj (property tax).
http://adaniel.tripod.com/Islam.htm
this is what fascist nazi islam calls peace....
are you ready to live under islam rule as a non muslim???
apartheid fascist nazi islamic style
Rights of Non-Muslims in an Islamic State
http://www.sullivan-county.com/id3/islamic_state.htm - Reply to this comment
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in an interview published Thursday that creation of a Palestinian state is a vital Israeli interest, and that failure to reach a peace agreement could plunge Israel into a South African-style apartheid struggle.
Hmmmmm he must have read President Carters book Palestine Peace not Apartheid, again it is a non Republican Statesman who guides the way even when he has been out of office for years. So those crazy folks who were outrageous and wrong when they attacked President Carter as a hater of jews for his brave book, what say you about Olmert? I believe the attacks on Carter while baseless started an important to long suppressed bullied dialogue on the plight of Arab Israelis. President Carter is a fine moral man and his book when read and not wielded as a political weapon has no biases.- Reply to this comment
- fascist nazi terrorislam IS OVER....
- Reply to this comment
- IT IS FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM STUPID
Dutch lawmaker planning film criticizing the Quran
A Dutch conservative lawmaker said Wednesday he is making a film to highlight what he describes as "fascist" passages in the Quran, his latest high profile criticism of Islam.
Wilders plans to depict parts of the Quran he says are used as inspiration "by bad people to do bad things."
Less than 10 minutes long, the film is expected to air in late January. It will show "the intolerant and fascist character of the Quran," said Wilders, whose anti-Islam campaign helped his Freedom Party win nine seats in parliament in last year''s election.
In the past, Wilders has said that half the Quran should be torn up and compared it with Adolf Hitler''s book "Mein Kampf." He has claimed the Netherlands is being swamped by a "tsunami" of Islamic immigrants.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/28/europe/EU-GEN-Netherlands-Anti-Quran-Film.php - Reply to this comment
- peloisaho1,
We accept him as the leader of Israel, you''re the one having a problem with that. - Reply to this comment
- All thoseidiots who called Jimmy Carter an anti-Semite for saying that Israel needed peace or aprtheid look rather foolish now that the President of Israel has said the same thing.
It shows that Carter was right. His detractors should actually read the book, as I have, and open their eyes if they truly care about the people of Israel. - Reply to this comment
.........could plunge Israel into a South African-style apartheid struggle.
Could????? has man up...- Reply to this comment
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