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ANALYSIS / Lebanon War diverted Olmert from goal to pull out of West Bank By Aluf Benn Tags: West Bank, Palestinians  Sunday's cabinet meeting was the last under Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is expected to step down in the coming days. At the session, Olmert returned to his term's exact point of departure. His address was an almost verbatim repeat of his inaugural speech at the Knesset in May 2006. Then, too, he spoke of his painful disillusion with the dream of a greater Israel, of the crucial need to divide the land to ensure Israel's Jewish identity for years to come. "The continuation of scattered settlements throughout Judea and Samaria creates an irrevocable population mix that will endanger Israel's existence as a Jewish state," Olmert warned in 2006. "Two states, or Israel is done for," he said at the Annapolis summit. He reiterated this warning yesterday by saying: "We need to divide the land with our neighbors if we seek to avoid becoming a binational state." Advertisement Olmert is consistent and he really does believe that a division of the land is Zionism's lifeline. But he is no political commentator, philosopher or lobbyist. He is the prime minister whose job is to lead, and he is finishing his term without having succeeded in pushing forward the division of the land between Israel and the Palestinians. The settlements are still scattered across the West Bank, between checkpoint-surrounded Palestinian cities. Olmert approved the construction of thousands of apartments in East Jerusalem and in the settlements on the western side of the security barrier. He refrained from issuing building permits in remote settlements, but he took care not to clash with settlers or forcefully evict them from outposts. The settlers carried on developing the settlements and outposts on the eastern side of the barrier on their own, even if they failed to draw many new settlers to live there. The notion of convergence as Olmert presented it before the elections, which entailed the eviction of 80,000 settlers from the eastern side of the barrier, was shelved after the Second Lebanon War. Yesterday, the prime minister condemned the settlers of Yitzhar who attacked their Palestinian neighbors. "We will not allow there to be pogroms against non-Jews in the State of Israel," he said. Had he pushed the convergence plan forward as he had promised, Yitzhar would have been evacuated. Olmert's negotiations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are meant to establish a border both parties can agree on, which will form the basis for a future permanent agreement. But the negotiations are not finished. Olmert's proposal is still below the minimum the other side is prepared to accept. Olmert will bequeath an active peace process to his successors. But judging by the statements the hopefuls have made in the Kadima primary campaign, Shaul Mofaz and Tzipi Livni are in no rush to go anywhere. Livni is waiting for the next U.S. administration, while Mofaz has reservations about discussing the core issues, proposing "economic peace" instead. Olmert has already laid his last card on the table, the eviction-compensation plan for settlers who volunteer to leave their homes on the eastern side of the security barrier. It is best to prepare now, the prime minister proposed, rather than start up when it's too late and much harder. Vice Premier Haim Ramon, who led the drive to promote a consensual evacuation, has been longing for this day since the government was established. But Olmert only postponed and procrastinated until finally, when the bill's time had finally come, it was handled as something for the record. All four contenders for Kadima's leadership said yesterday they were opposed to the consensual evacuation concept. What can we learn from Olmert's failure? First, that a prime minister must focus on the main issue. The Second Lebanon War diverted the nation's attention to a different front, whose importance is minor. Israel is paying the price for this in the continuation of a problematic status quo in the territories. Second, time works against the incumbent. What is postponed during the first year will not come to pass during the second and third. And finally, you cannot carry out dramatic moves in the framework of peace talks without a strong political backing and public popularity. Otherwise, one stays in the commentator's seat. Related articles: Mofaz slams proposed evacuation-compensation bill for settlers Olmert: We must prepare now for the evacuation of West Bank settlers Disengagement Authority: Gov't spent NIS 6 billion on settler evacuees Bookmark to del.icio.us   Saddam in Tel Aviv Israel's Igal Naor 'never wanted to play Hamlet, only Saddam.' The preacher Archbishop Tutu to UN: Israel may have committed war crime.   1.   Haaretz disappointed 05:16  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 15/09/08   2.   Time to go to JAIL Olmert 06:11  |  george 15/09/08   3.   Olmert never intended to pull out of the west bank 06:12  |  Natallie Durson 15/09/08   4.   THANK G_D OLMERDE WILL LEAVE.... 06:20  |  BOB KING 15/09/08   5.   Olmert`s Misguided Vision 06:32  |  George Kaplan 15/09/08   6.   Talmudic parabol 06:37  |  Shmuelshachor 15/09/08   7.   Olmert had no majority then and definitely doesn`t now 06:55  |  Dani 15/09/08   8.   Israel needs to stand firm and look out for its own ... 07:29  |  Jean Van Daem 15/09/08   9.   How did this happen to us...? 07:56  |  Esther 15/09/08   10.   Aluf Benn continues to talk about Olmert`s negotiations in the 08:31  |  redmike 15/09/08   11.   he can now join mrs olmert as a woman in black 09:14  |  v.hardman 15/09/08   12.   ATTACKING Israel was an attack on the peace camp.It worked! 09:38  |  PETER SM 15/09/08   13.   Olmert diverted himself from WB pullout 09:42  |  Rick & TC 15/09/08   14.   I wish I could be Right-Wing... (part I) 09:46  |  Adam Paul 15/09/08   15.   I wish I could be Right-Wing... (part II) 09:51  |  Adam Paul 15/09/08   16.   You mean there was something GOOD about the 2nd Lebanon fiasco?! 09:55  |  Yaakov K. 15/09/08   17.   Save Israel--simple 10:05  |  No durson 15/09/08   18.   #14 adam paul and reality all arabs to jordan 11:13  |  v.hardman 15/09/08   19.   #14 - Adam Paul 17:23  |  redmike 15/09/08

Read & React Olmert: There's no such thing as 'Greater Israel' anymore Responses: 205 Police yet to conduct arrests, interviews on settler rampage Responses: 56 Olmert voices sorrow for plight of Palestinian, Jewish refugees Responses: 70 Police to open criminal probe of pro-draft dodging group Responses: 42 Haaretz.com TV: Jihad claims Qassam attack on Sderot Responses: 69 More Headlines 23:41 Syrian Reform Party says aide to Hamas Chief shot dead in Syrian street 01:32 Counterterrorism unit urges Israelis: Leave Sinai immediately 21:39 Palestinian stabs IDF soldier in West Bank 01:12 Former U.S. secretaries of state say they support talks with Iran 00:21 IAEA says Iran stalling probe into alleged atom bomb research 23:51 Israel to UNIFIL: Stop ignoring Hezbollah violations of UN resolution 1701 00:45 Experts: Israel heading for economic crisis in 2009 12:05 The Jewish Agency's smart decision on aliyah 21:42 Poll: Livni will beat Mofaz in a landslide to clinch Kadima leadership 22:57 Top Nazi hunter fights for extradition of suspects in U.S., Austria, Hungary 21:53 Archbishop Tutu to UN: Israel may have committed war crime 18:37 Israel's Igal Naor 'never wanted to play Hamlet, only Saddam' 13:59 Olmert voices sorrow for plight of Palestinian, Jewish refugees 19:55 Israeli Muslims set to spread environmental message to Arab world Previous Editions Select Day 15 sep 14 sep 12 sep 11 sep 10 sep 09 sep 08 sep 07 sep 05 sep 04 sep 03 sep 02 sep

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