Olmert Ready For "Tangible" Changes

Israeli PM, Palestinian Leader Meet; Secretary Rice Urges Better West Bank Conditions

(CBS/AP)  Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday expressed readiness to make "tangible" changes in the West Bank, telling Palestinian President Mahmoud that he understands that their months of peace talks must be accompanied by action on the ground, an Israeli official said.

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.

[j-whitman]

libagenda-singinrick,,,,,, You are the one who opposes God ---- You turned Jesus, a man, into your god ------ God told you not to do that in his 1st Commandment

[quetzalcrist]

Never Fear, Underdog is here. jejejejeje

[dinkydog1]

I am glad to see everyone trying to make peace with Israel,they have been harassed long enough.Those Israeli''''s are no one too mess with,they have one of the best military forces in the world to reckon with.**** them off,and they will bring fire upon you.I am glad they are one of our greatest allies.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by swwils at 12:20 AM : May 07, 2008
+ report abuse
.........

OK, how are they our greatest ally. We pay over $7000 aid per year for every Israli man woman and child making Isreal the worlds largest welfare state and the military is fully equiped by the US. How are they supporting the US?

[underdogus]

the Gay Boy band thing dint work out for ya? Posted by QuetzalCrist aka Quetzal666 why did ya change your name dummy?

[underdogus]

Happy Birthday Israel!

Posted by factsearcher.. well said my friend!!

[swwils]

I am glad to see everyone trying to make peace with Israel,they have been harassed long enough.Those Israeli''s are no one too mess with,they have one of the best military forces in the world to reckon with.**** them off,and they will bring fire upon you.I am glad they are one of our greatest allies.

[prinzowhales]

libagenda--Certainly not Israel. Settlers on the West Bank have been busy murdering a farmer and attacking a US general sent to the area on a fact finding mission.

The Palestinians are shelling their own lands awarded them by the UN at the partition. If the Israelis are concerned about their illegal colonists, they should withdraw them. Such colonization is illegal under international law as is the cutting off of water and food from civilian populations.

[jimfinster]

libagenda/rick:

You are walking around with god stickers on your glasses. That is all you can see, not realizing there is a whole other world out there. What a pity, what a tunnel vision view of life you have.

[prinzowhales]

His "tangible changes" have come in the form of cutting off water and food to Gaza. Nothing new there.

[factsearcher]

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? 60 YEARS!!!!!
60 years already...
After all the wars, all the criticism, all the violence, all the antisemism, all the suffering....
Israel is still among us...
With an incredible list of accomplishments we must admit...
Peace among neighboring countries except
palestnians (of course)
Incredible advances in technology which we benefit from eg: Motorola
Incredible the way they created a fantastic irrigation system in the arid desert (that''s what Israel is... no oil!)
Their literacy level is something to admire
Their military intelligence is very desirable (thank goodness they share it with us)
Many of them win medical, engineering, research, literary prizes... to name a few... some raised in U.S.

Happy Birthday Israel!

[quetzalcrist]

libagenda...

Hey Ricky still trying to attone for your past drug use and alcoholic nature by converting others from a keyboard?...

the Gay Boy band thing dint work out for ya?

[laidbackfarm]

Not anti-christian, just not a *** that has been brainwashed by someone that wants my money so they can save my soul! Grew up in a Methodist family attending Sunady School and Church every Sunday, and atended Catholic School through 8th grade. Now I see that the Catholics believe they are the only true christians!

The jews have been a curse on humanity for thousands of years with their claim of being Gods chosen people. They kill innocent men, women and children in the name of their religion and the world stands by idle allowing them to commit these crimes. Then you have these RWNJ christians defend the jews for their crimes against humanity, spying on America...these are the same jews that do not accept Jesus Christ as their saviour? Does that make any sense what so ever?

The jews should be made to live a democracy if they are going to claim a democracy. They should be held accountable for their crimes, and should give back teh land that they stole from the Palestinians. I have no respect for a jew, and would spit on one rather then shake ones hand. That is the hatred I have learned to have for the jew for the crimes against humanity they have carried out!

[quetzalcrist]

rick is a memeber of the Christian Taliban,
Thank god for Separation of church and State,
Otherwise wed all be listening to Christian music all the time, no freedoms of expression except
those sanctioned by the Cult staff.
not unlike the radical muslims....

only a different flavor..

[j-whitman]

libagenda,,,, Maybe he''s just bigoted against your radical form of Christianity

[laidbackfarm]

You christian *** heads need to face the reality that Olmert himself is facing!

"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"

[j-whitman]

Hi folks,,, Anyone actually believe Omert ?? We''ve all been playing this game before... Every time he doesn''t keep his word.

[jimfinster]

rick,

Have a good one. The fish are biting and I am OUTTA HERE!

[jimfinster]

If you want to believe that way, I''''m not going to stop you.

Posted by libagenda

But you would if you could, huh? It must be very frustrating when others do not buy into your religious beliefs. I think if christians had their way, they would round everyone up and forcibly put them in indoctrination camps (ie churchs)! LOL

[jimfinster]

rick,

No, I will not have a good day. I will have a GREAT day!

[jimfinster]

rick,

Like Ronnie used to say: there you go again.

Christianity is a religion. Your church accepts that definition in order to operate without paying taxes. Which is a great scam, by the way :)

You are a member of the church, and are therefore in a religion.