Last update - 00:00 11/01/2008
Ayalon bleak on Annapolis outcome
By Cnaan Liphshiz
It would be a mistake to think of U.S. President George W. Bush - who is visiting Israel - as a "lame duck" because he is in the last year of his term, Israel's immediate past ambassador to the U.S. Danny Ayalon said on Tuesday at a luncheon before diplomats and members of the Israel, Britain and the Commonwealth Association (IBCA) at the David Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv.
In his address about the possible aftereffects of the Annapolis peace summit, Ayalon reminded his 120-odd listeners of how Bush's predecessor, Bill Clinton, pushed forward with the Camp David peace summit in 2000 during his last months in office.
"It's not Bush that's the problem," said Ayalon, who had been posted to Washington by former prime minister Ariel Sharon.
"The problem is that the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, is not capable or willing to deliver the goods."
The only show of optimism Ayalon was willing to make was to call the Annapolis summit an important step in "preventing deterioration." IBCA's chairperson, Brenda Katten, said the event had not been planned to coincided with Bush's visit to Israel. "We set the date before anyone had any knowledge of the presidential visit," she said.