JERUSALEM, May 5, 2008
Olmert Ready For "Tangible" Changes
Israeli PM, Palestinian Leader Meet; Secretary Rice Urges Better West Bank Conditions
-
Play CBS Video
Video
Rice Wraps Up Israel Visit
Condoleezza Rice wrapped up her trip to Israel, working to establish a peace agreement with Palestinians and Israelis. But as Charlie Wolfson reports, neither side appears willing to compromise.
-
Photo
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, right, held a new round of talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, a day after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the region and urged better living conditions in the West Bank. (AP/M. Muheisen, S. Scheiner)
-
Interactive
Mideast Conflict
Events, key players and a history of the world's most unstable region.
The two leaders met for two hours in Jerusalem, a day after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Israel to do more to improve living conditions in the West Bank.
Olmert and Abbas greeted each other warmly at the start of the meeting, held at Olmert's official residence. The men embraced, Abbas signed the guest book, and Olmert bantered with Abbas' aides about European soccer teams before the beginning of the meeting at Olmert's Jerusalem residence.
Despite the appearance of a friendly atmosphere, Abbas aides said Monday the Palestinian leader is considering resigning if sufficient progress isn't made in the coming months.
Rice left the region hours before the meeting, wrapping up her latest diplomatic mission aimed at prodding the sides closer to a deal. During her visit, Rice criticized Israel's military checkpoints and settlements in the West Bank.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Abbas pressed Olmert on the settlement issue during Monday's meeting.
Abbas has sounded increasingly disheartened in recent weeks.
He says continued settlement construction on lands the Palestinians claim, and Israel's refusal to remove roadblocks and ease other travel restrictions are undermining the negotiations and threatening chances of closing a deal by the year-end target date - just before U.S. President George Bush leaves office.
Talks have made no visible progress since their launch at a U.S.-sponsored peace conference last November. However, officials from both sides have acknowledged that they are discussing the key issues in their six-decade conflict: final borders between Israel and a future Palestine, the fate of millions of Palestinian refugees and the status of the disputed holy city of Jerusalem.
During her visit, Rice insisted the year-end target is still realistic, and Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said the same after Monday's meeting.
"I believe there is a very good chance these talks will produce concrete results for the benefit of both people. We believe the time table set out in Annapolis is achievable," Regev said.
"We also discussed the tangible issues on the ground. We understand fully that political dialogue must be supported by tangible steps on the ground or you can have cynicism on the ground," he added.
On Sunday, Rice made unusually direct remarks about the consequences of Israeli construction and roadblocks, stressing "the importance of creating an atmosphere that is conducive to negotiations."
"That means doing nothing, certainly, that would suggest that there is any prejudicing of the final terms" of a deal setting up an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, Rice said.
During Rice's visit, she met with the chief Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, and the teams also held separate talks. In a sign of progress, Palestinian negotiators on Sunday for the first time presented maps outlining what they envision as the borders of a future state, an official said.
He said the Palestinians want all of the West Bank - which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East War - as part of their state, but are ready to give up nearly 2 percent of the territory in exchange for an equal amount of land from what is now Israel.
Israel wants to keep parts of the West Bank in order to retain large Jewish settlements and for what it says are security needs. Maps presented by Israel several weeks ago sought to keep about 10 percent of the West Bank, the Palestinian official said. He said that despite the gaps, the maps indicated the sides are moving closer to a compromise on the issue of final borders. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were closed.
Shortly after Rice's departure, top Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh sharply criticized the Bush administration. The U.S. needs to step up its involvement and exert pressure on Israel to live up to its peace obligations, such as freezing Jewish settlements, Abu Rdeneh said.
"That's why there should be American pressure on Israel, instead of continuous visits and statements," he said in a reference to Rice's frequent trips to the region.
Abbas aides said the Palestinian president is giving the negotiations two or three months to produce progress and will consider resigning if he believes the talks have failed. They spoke on condition of anonymity because Abbas has not yet made a final decision.
Abbas' moderate government says Israel must make concrete moves to improve the Palestinian economy and show Palestinians why they should support the peace negotiations instead of radical groups like Hamas.
But Israel says measures like roadblocks are vital parts of a security policy that has dramatically reduced militant attacks - and thus enabled peace talks to go ahead.
Olmert's peace efforts are clouded by yet another corruption scandal that threatens to further tarnish him and his government. Israeli police have questioned Olmert in the fifth criminal investigation they have opened into his political activities and financial dealings since he took office in 2006.
Israel media say the corruption allegations are so severe that he could be forced to step down. Olmert denies any wrongdoing, reports CBS News correspondent Robert Berger.
Details of the new case are subject to a court-issued gag order, but the investigation has already sparked calls for Olmert to suspend himself or resign. Olmert has never been charged in any of the scandals.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Video and Galleries from World
-
Video
Music In The Air
-
Video
U.S. Troops In Need
-
Video
Obama's Message To Africa
- 1
- 2
- next
See all 72 Commentsand they need it back.....
HOW. WE THE PEOPLE DONT WORK OR DO ANYTHING FOR A FEW WEEKS, SEE HOW FAST THEY START DOING SOMETHING FOR AMERICANS, WHEN NO MONEY IS GOING ONTO THE GOVERNEMNT FOR A FEW WEEKS, SEE NO FOOD BEING DRIVEN TO STORES, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE AS AMERICANS CAN TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK.. SO AMERICANS BETTER WAKE UP AND LETS START A COMPLETE BOY-COTT OF WORK..THIS WILL ONLY WORK IF ALL DO IT.
for-america@hotmail.com
I wish the Palestinians the very best of luck and for Israelis to suffer like they never have during the 41 years of their ruthless military occupation.
It has different meanings for palestinians and israelis. For palestinians it means: give me land and I''ll ask for more later, we do not recognize you...violence..we blame hamas, we blame hezbollah, we have no control.. sorry..bye.
For israelis it means: we''ve been trying to settle for a two state peace for many years... have given you land, prisioners, money, resources (which you waste and don''t develop), no violence unless you attack us.... and what do we get in return... violence, deaths and more violence.... and then you complain why we don''t trust you.
-I guess the Jews will need their cousins the Muslim Arabs and vice versa in order to stand against the Chinese invaders.
- Can''t blame Abbas for resigning and letting the chaos erupt anew. Liar935Bush and AldanteRice have done absolutely nothing to push the cause forward into peace settlement.
LET THEM FIGHT OVER ROCKS FOR EVER ON THEIR OWN!
THEY HAVE NOTHING AMERICA NEEDS!@
AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!
START WAR CRIMES TRIALS NOW!
AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!
that was so little house on the prairie....
all we needed was the music...
how cynical!
The only reason Abbas (with hamas blessing) is giving the talks and negotiations a chance is because they cannot handle the misery they are enduring as a result of their own violence and continues attacks towards the israelis.... who had been looking for a less extremist form of peace... with no success..
Don''t forget people... of all the tragic deaths the israelis have endured caused not only by many many suice bombers (restaurants, malls, schools, etc) but also by daily rocket attacks. The suicide bombing has diminished tremendously since the roadblocks...
No more violence can only benefit the palestinians... is not rocket science (not upon intended).
.... Just think... we want to build a wall in the mexican border to deter illegal aliens... no direct violence or attakcs...can you imagine what we would do if and only if the mexicans would continuosly attack us??? (just a hypothesis)... I don''t think we would be so patient.
youre an idiot...
your last post proved that.....
It is funny to read that Abbas is very pessimistic and he''''ll only giving this peace process two or three more months.... haha!
how cynical!
The only reason Abbas (with hamas blessing) is giving the talks and negotiations a chance is because they cannot handle the misery they are enduring as a result of their own violence and continues attacks towards the israelis.... who had been looking for a less extremist form of peace... with no success..
Don''''t forget people... of all the tragic deaths the israelis have endured caused not only by many many suice bombers (restaurants, malls, schools, etc) but also by daily rocket attacks. The suicide bombing has diminished tremendously since the roadblocks...
No more violence can only benefit the palestinians... is not rocket science (not upon intended).
.... Just think... we want to build a wall in the mexican border to deter illegal aliens... no direct violence or attakcs...can you imagine what we would do if and only if the mexicans would continuosly attack us??? (just a hypothesis)... I don''''t think we would be so patient.
But adds... "Of course, we will support any murders of women and children, I, I mean militants, the Israelis get the urge to commit."
Posted by libagenda/singinrick
Far more arabs than jews have been killed in this in endless conflict. Hmmmmm...
typical response from a right winger,
no substance just hypothetical ramblings.
What does Mexico have to do with the Invasion of Palestine from illegal immigrants?
I am factually correct.
I "believe" that both sides behave poorly. It would suit me if a plague came through and wiped out the whole bunch, both sides.
"%u201CPalestine%u201D, he said, %u201Cwould become the world%u2019s ghetto%u201D. Lord Curzon, the former viceroy of India, observed that Britain had %u201Ca stronger claim to parts of France%u201D than the Jews did to Palestine after two millennia of absence. He denounced it as an act of %u201Csentimental idealism%u201D.
There are few rewards in this life for being farsighted on political questions. The Zionists still have the bit between their teeth on the creation of a permanent Jewish state, even as they face self-destruction.
A few perhaps can see it coming and among the few is the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
In an interview last November he said, %u201CIf the day comes when the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights (also for the Palestinians in the territories) then, as soon as that happens, the State of Israel is finished.%u201D"
LOL
Well then, it must be true! Just ask the talking snake!
History is not over quite yet. The arabs will eventually find a way to destroy Israel, prophesy or not.
Posted by libagenda
Just common sense. They have the motivation and outnumber and surround them. I have spent a fair amount of time in the Mideast. You just can''t imagine how much the typical arab hates Israel.
Posted by libagenda
Only partly. The main reasons:
1) they see the land as rightfully theirs
2) they are very proud people who have been defeated
3) they want revenge for their defeats
as soon as we get a real president with the gall to stand up to the Jewish Kabal
when the US quits sponsoring mysery in the lands of Palestine
then there will be peace.
You will have to get your head out of the bible to understand this. It is way more complex than you comprehend.
I had arab friends in college who were totally non-religious. They thought the quran was a crock. Yet they hated israel with a strong emotional intensity. The quran is not the source of the hatred, but it surely is fuel on the fire.
LOL OK, I will take that for what it is worth. Just like the story of creation and talking snakes and arks and a dude walking on water :)
But we could flip this and say the same about christians in america, huh?
True, but a thorn can cause great pain. They want them out of there, and it will happen sooner or later.
Posted by libagenda
What is baffling to me is that you think you know everything. Go live in the Mideast for 6 years like I did, then we can discuss. You only see the surface.
you are Flawed,
your whole concept of reality is Flawed,
i cant wait until the Southern Baptist Cult is
relegated back to the pulpit and out of everyone elses life.
Cult Leader since Jim Jones.
You waste your time posting bible quotes at me. You know my opinion - the whole thing is a fantastic work of fiction. If people would get their heads out of religious nonsense, the world would be a much happier and peaceful place.
Posted by libagenda
No rick, that is YOUR square one. Not mine.
Posted by libagenda
Not really. No more than Nostradamus, vague predictions that could be interpreted many ways. I prefer the rational world of facts and figures, not fairy tales.
Posted by libagenda
Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you !
You have nothing but pure speculation to back this up with, and you know it.
Posted by libagenda
You seem to have fact and opinion confused, rick. That is the difference between us. When I make a prediction about the future, I will tell you it is my opinion only.
That is the difference between rational thought and irrational religious belief!
LOL.....
Undeniable Prophesy?
jejejejejjejejjeejejjejej
i can predict that you are an Idiot!
does that make me a prophet?
posted by jimfinster
Opinions are based on guesses and speculation.
Bad opinions are based on guesses and speculation. Good opinions are based on facts. I have already provided you the facts I used to make my opinion.
The facts are undeniable if you have spent any time in the Mideast (which you clearly have not).
oh im sory
hahahahahahaaha
not jejejejejejej
TRUTH
Posted by libagenda
Ha! That is where I went wrong! I have always desperately searched for a hot woman and a cold beer!
LOL
Posted by libagenda
Good one. Is that why he killed millions of his children in the Holocaust?
posted by jimfinster
The facts that the Muslim Arabs hate the Jews?
Well duuh. Tell me something I didn''''t already know.
Posted by libagenda
Since you were not paying attention:
1) they see this land as rightfully theirs
2) they are a very proud people defeated in battle
3) they want revenge and to regain their pride
You accept everything in the bible as fact, and I do not. So we will NEVER agree on that.
fact: a truth that can be proved from observation or experiment
just one question Ricky before recess and cookies,
why is it that in the bibly its not ok to murder, yet the Bibly is full of murder..
does it mean that we as humans shouldnt murder, but if god says to do it its ok???
- 1
- 2
- next
See all 72 Comments