If Olmert is saying these things now because he has had an epiphany then his opinion is simply that; the personal opinion of a soon-to-be-has-been, and of little interest to anyone.
But if Olmert is saying these things because he has been receiving advice that Things Are Likely To Go Pear-Shaped For Israel If It Doesn`t Budge then that is a different matter; he is saying these things because the public *needs* to be told some home-truths, and he is the only person who can tell them.
What separates the statesman from the politician is that the former is willing to LEAD public opinion, while the latter is content to FOLLOW it.
Olmert is no statesman - far from it - but he may well be able to recognize when statecraft is necessary, and this is his attempt at kick his successor in the butt and bring them out to the front of the pack. |
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