Olmert: Mideast peace deal closer than ever?

Israeli PM, Palestinian leader visit France, vow to work toward peace

This article was filed Sunday morning, July 13, 2008, by the Associated Press. It reported:

PARIS – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that Israel and the Palestinians have never been as close to a peace deal than now.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, standing with Olmert at the French presidential palace, said both sides are “serious and want to achieve peace.”

Both men, Olmert and Abbas, reportedly held talks on Sunday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who wants Israel to settle for the two-state solution. This meeting occurred ahead of a summit launching the Union for the Mediterranean, which brings together leaders of 40 nations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Said Olmert::

We have never been as close to a possible (peace) agreement as today.

What incredible bullshit after the fall of Annapolis, and the deflection of Bush’s last minute directive concerning a peaceful solution, even while Israel continued its relentless occupation and colonizing activity in the West Bank.

Bush calls for end of `occupation’ of Arab lands

Bush, as we recall, called for `painful concessions’ from both sides, and on Jan. 10, 2008 predicted success within year. You could just hear every Zionist faction in Israel, from Labor to Likud, laughing at this Bush proposal:

There should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967. The agreement must establish Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people, just as Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people. These negotiations must ensure that Israel has secure, recognized, and defensible borders. And they must ensure that the state of Palestine is viable, contiguous, sovereign, and independent.

So is Sarkozy nuts?

The Associated Press article continues: but, but, but….

Little overt movement toward a deal

Repeated rounds of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks since a peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, last year have produced little movement.

What a joke. As during the Camp David/Taba negotiations in 2000, which produced the so-called “generous offer,” nothing has changed. In fact, Israel is continuing to expand settlements, and even enlarging the notion of settlements as we speak. There are over 150 so-called “legal” settlements in the West Bank, and about 100 so-called “illegal” ones. To get around the illegality (all settlements are illegal by international law), Israel is now allowing these illegal settlements, largely located on hilltops around the West Bank, to change their names and become associated with the closest legal one as a “suburb.” So now we have, as Jimmy Carter contended, over 250 settlements in the West Bank, which enlarge everyday. Settlements were “off the table” during the 2000 negotiations, and presumably they will be off the table in the future.

This advise is almost axiomatic: never listen to what Israel says, look at what it does, if you really want to know Israel’s intents, in this case, its view of peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. They keep saying it again and again with their actions: Israel wants land not peace (again, quoting Jimmy Carter).

(Facsimile of the peanuts cartoon reproduced in accordance with criteria for fair use of cartoon material.)

7 Comments

idredit on July 13, 2008 at 1:58 pm

What a joke?

is the peace deal to be concluded before or after any of these:

Olmert’s fraud charges saga

Israel’s attack on Iran

The report of Bush giving Israel the ‘amber light’ for Iran strike should take oil price to $160

So determined they are to hasten the Greater Depression and WW lll.

dada on July 13, 2008 at 2:55 pm

haaretz is not the most reliable source…in fact, they are part of what l would call the “propagandist” media.

a large shaker of salt is recommended, and a litre of margaritas for further assistance.

jus’ sayin’.
- idredit on July 13, 2008 at 5:12 pm
  
  except that these articles in Ha’aretz were sourced elsewhere.
  
  On Iran there has been a war of words – death by propaganda….Take your pick:
  
  The Israel given the amber light article’s origin is The Times of London, equally unreliable – a Murdock cloth carried here
  
  I have no doubt the Bush Administration knew the London Times article would be published today – so “coincidence” on the same day, Wapo, another equally unreliable sheet, says
  
  “Neither government will confirm that such pressure was exerted. Bush hates to say no to Israel, and he and Olmert do not want Iran to think that it now has a free hand on enrichment. But diplomatic and U.S. sources describe the pushback by Washington as intense and say it included indications that the United States would not clear Israeli bombers through Iraqi airspace or provide other logistical support in the event of attack now.”
  
  but Israel has been putting pressure for an attack on Iran –
  
  Mojo
  
  “has learned that a parade of high level Israeli officials are on their way to the White House over the next two weeks to discuss Iran policy. The two countries differ on what to do next.”
  
  Olmert IS under investigation for corruption... so he needs to divert attention from himself.
  - shergald on July 13, 2008 at 5:37 pm
    
    We do recall that announcement concerning Israeli military personnel traveling to Washington for a consultation. But is it an ominous sign or just more pressure on Iran?
    
    This past week’s events in Iran would say that Iran is taking the Alfred E. Neuman “what me worry?” approach. There’s an old adage somewhere that goes: don’t underestimate the Persians. The Iranian ambassador again: “we will defend ourselves.” Looks like he wasn’t kidding.
    - idredit on July 13, 2008 at 6:08 pm
      
      for Bush and the world over the long term over Iran is the least of the worries. Af/Pakistan is the more dangerous, where the focus should be.
      
      Over the near term, trillions at stake so saving the the financial system and the dollar are paramount. We are all standing by to see if taxpayers become landlords..
    - dada on July 13, 2008 at 6:28 pm
      
      the wait is, for all intents and purposes, over, and the answer is yes…we, the taxpayers, are going to bail out fannie and freddie:
      
      treasury secretary henry “l speak with forked tongue” paulson…
      
      sought blanket authority from Congress to buy equity stakes in and lend to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, aiming to stem the collapse of confidence in the largest sources of U.S. mortgage financing.
      
      Paulson will propose to Congress a “temporary” increase of the companies’ lines of credit with the Treasury from the current $2.25 billion each, and the right to buy equity “if needed,” according to a statement released by the department in Washington.
      
      Freddie Mac is scheduled to sell $3 billion in short-term notes tomorrow, and Paulson’s comments indicate a growing concern that a crisis of confidence may take hold if demand for the debt is weak. The plan, which requires congressional approval, would give Paulson power to buy an unspecified amount of stock in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a Treasury official told reporters.
      
      A third element of the proposal would give the Federal Reserve a “consultative role” overseeing the companies’ capital requirements. The Fed separately announced it will let the companies borrow directly from the Fed at the same discount rate as commercial banks.
      
      Debt sold by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “is held by financial institutions around the world,” Paulson said in the statement. “Its continued strength is important to maintaining confidence and stability in our financial system and our financial markets.”
      
      :::
      
      via bloomberg
      
      Paulson Statement on Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae July 13: Full Text
      
      don’t stand too close to the entry to congress…you’ll get trampled by the rush to support this proposal. we’re about to see reid and pelosi and the demoRAT’s jump through another BushCo™ hoop in, what will no doubt be, record time.

RustyPipes on July 14, 2008 at 11:33 am

Thanks for the diary, shergald. The cartoon is perfect.

idredit on July 13, 2008 at 1:58 pm

What a joke?

is the peace deal to be concluded before or after any of these:

Olmert’s fraud charges saga

Israel’s attack on Iran

The report of Bush giving Israel the ‘amber light’ for Iran strike should take oil price to $160

So determined they are to hasten the Greater Depression and WW lll.
- dada on July 13, 2008 at 2:55 pm
  
  haaretz is not the most reliable source…in fact, they are part of what l would call the “propagandist” media.
  
  a large shaker of salt is recommended, and a litre of margaritas for further assistance.
  
  jus’ sayin’.
  - idredit on July 13, 2008 at 5:12 pm
    
    except that these articles in Ha’aretz were sourced elsewhere.
    
    On Iran there has been a war of words – death by propaganda….Take your pick:
    
    The Israel given the amber light article’s origin is The Times of London, equally unreliable – a Murdock cloth carried here
    
    I have no doubt the Bush Administration knew the London Times article would be published today – so “coincidence” on the same day, Wapo, another equally unreliable sheet, says
    
    “Neither government will confirm that such pressure was exerted. Bush hates to say no to Israel, and he and Olmert do not want Iran to think that it now has a free hand on enrichment. But diplomatic and U.S. sources describe the pushback by Washington as intense and say it included indications that the United States would not clear Israeli bombers through Iraqi airspace or provide other logistical support in the event of attack now.”
    
    but Israel has been putting pressure for an attack on Iran –
    
    Mojo
    
    “has learned that a parade of high level Israeli officials are on their way to the White House over the next two weeks to discuss Iran policy. The two countries differ on what to do next.”
    
    Olmert IS under investigation for corruption... so he needs to divert attention from himself.
    - shergald on July 13, 2008 at 5:37 pm
      
      We do recall that announcement concerning Israeli military personnel traveling to Washington for a consultation. But is it an ominous sign or just more pressure on Iran?
      
      This past week’s events in Iran would say that Iran is taking the Alfred E. Neuman “what me worry?” approach. There’s an old adage somewhere that goes: don’t underestimate the Persians. The Iranian ambassador again: “we will defend ourselves.” Looks like he wasn’t kidding.
      - idredit on July 13, 2008 at 6:08 pm
        
        for Bush and the world over the long term over Iran is the least of the worries. Af/Pakistan is the more dangerous, where the focus should be.
        
        Over the near term, trillions at stake so saving the the financial system and the dollar are paramount. We are all standing by to see if taxpayers become landlords..
      - dada on July 13, 2008 at 6:28 pm
        
        the wait is, for all intents and purposes, over, and the answer is yes…we, the taxpayers, are going to bail out fannie and freddie:
        
        treasury secretary henry “l speak with forked tongue” paulson…
        
        sought blanket authority from Congress to buy equity stakes in and lend to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, aiming to stem the collapse of confidence in the largest sources of U.S. mortgage financing.
        
        Paulson will propose to Congress a “temporary” increase of the companies’ lines of credit with the Treasury from the current $2.25 billion each, and the right to buy equity “if needed,” according to a statement released by the department in Washington.
        
        Freddie Mac is scheduled to sell $3 billion in short-term notes tomorrow, and Paulson’s comments indicate a growing concern that a crisis of confidence may take hold if demand for the debt is weak. The plan, which requires congressional approval, would give Paulson power to buy an unspecified amount of stock in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a Treasury official told reporters.
        
        A third element of the proposal would give the Federal Reserve a “consultative role” overseeing the companies’ capital requirements. The Fed separately announced it will let the companies borrow directly from the Fed at the same discount rate as commercial banks.
        
        Debt sold by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “is held by financial institutions around the world,” Paulson said in the statement. “Its continued strength is important to maintaining confidence and stability in our financial system and our financial markets.”
        
        :::
        
        via bloomberg
        
        Paulson Statement on Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae July 13: Full Text
        
        don’t stand too close to the entry to congress…you’ll get trampled by the rush to support this proposal. we’re about to see reid and pelosi and the demoRAT’s jump through another BushCo™ hoop in, what will no doubt be, record time.
RustyPipes on July 14, 2008 at 11:33 am

Thanks for the diary, shergald. The cartoon is perfect.

Olmert: Mideast peace deal closer than ever?

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