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Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. (Tess Scheflan / Jini)
Last update - 14:04 01/10/2008
Olmert: Israel must quit East Jerusalem and Golan
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel news, East Jerusalem 

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in remarks published Monday that Israel would have to withdraw from East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights if it was serious about making peace with the Palestinians and Syria.

In an interview with the Yedioth Aharonoth daily, Olmert said that as a hard-line politician for decades he had not been prepared to look at reality in all of its depth.

"Ariel Sharon spoke about painful costs and refused to elaborate," Olmert told the daily. "I say, we have no choice but to elaborate. In the end of the day, we will have to withdraw from the most decisive areas of the territories. In exchange for the same territories left in our hands, we will have to give compensation in the form of territories within the State of Israel."
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"I think we are very close to an agreement," Olmert added.

These comments were the clearest sign to date of Olmert's willingness to meet key Palestinian demands in peace talks.

With regard to the Syria track, Olmert added that a future peace agreement required a pullout from the Golan Heights, an area under Israeli control since the 1967 Six-Day War.

"First and foremost, we must make a decision. I'd like to see if there is one serious person in the State of Israel who believes it is possible to make peace with the Syrians without eventually giving up the Golan Heights."

"It is true that an agreement with Syria comes with danger," he said. "Those who want to act with zero danger should move to Switzerland."

Yedioth Aharonoth noted that in this "legacy interview," published on the eve of the Jewish New Year, Olmert went further in making offers for peace than he ever did publicly when he was in active office and had greater power to see them carried out.

The interview was met with fierce criticism from politicians on both the right and the left.

MK Yuval Steinitz said the comments demonstrated the outgoing leader's readiness "to ignore even the most crucial" of Israel's needs.

"The prime minister's concession the essential borders of defense is a gamble on the bone of existence, and the future of the State of Israel," Steinitz told Army Radio in response to Olmert's comments.

"Ignoring the distance between rockets fired from afar and the enemy sitting on top of Jerusalem reveals how little he understands the basis of security," Steinitz added.

Former Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin criticized Olmert for having offered such concessions only on the eve of his departure from premiership.

"Olmert has committed the unforgivable sin of revealing his truce stance on Israel's national interest just when he has nothing left to lose," said Beilin.

According to Western and Palestinian officials, Olmert has proposed in peace talks with the Palestinians an Israeli withdrawal from some 93 percent of the West Bank, plus all of the Gaza Strip, from which Israel pulled out in 2005.

The negotiations, which Olmert has vowed to continue until he leaves office when a new government is formed, have shown few signs of progress and both sides acknowledge chances are slim of meeting Washington's target of a deal by the end of the year.

Olmert has also engaged Syria in indirect negotiations with Turkish mediation, but has not remarked publicly on the scope of an Israeli pullout from the Golan Heights.

Olmert has said repeatedly that Israel intends to keep major Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank in any future peace deal with the Palestinians.

A peace agreement, Olmert has said, would mean Israel would have to compensate the Palestinians for the land it hopes to retain by "close to a 1-to-1 ratio."

In exchange for the settlement enclaves, Olmert has proposed about a 5 percent land swap giving the Palestinians a desert territory adjacent to the Gaza Strip, as well as land on which to build a transit corridor between Gaza and the West Bank.

He has so far put off negotiations on sharing Jerusalem and ruled out a so-called "right of return" for Palestinian refugees, a central Palestinian demand. On both issues, there is strong opposition in Israel to significant concessions.

Olmert, who has stepped down in the face of a possible criminal indictment in a corruption investigation, will remain caretaker prime minister until a new government is approved by parliament.

A week ago, President Shimon Peres asked Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, now leader of Olmert's centrist Kadima party, to try to put together a governing coalition within six weeks. Failure to do so would likely lead to a parliamentary election.

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      1.   suicidale outgoing leader 09:57  |  jacques 29/09/08
      2.   Olmert it is you that should move to Switzerland," 09:58  |  e.m Jordan is Palse 29/09/08
      3.   Two different situations 10:06  |  DJStahl 29/09/08
      4.   Irresponsible leader 10:16  |  Shalom Freedman 29/09/08
      5.   Bon Voyage Ehud Olmert. Your Swiss Bank acc. Awaits you 10:21  |  Ari ben Yisrael 29/09/08
      6.   Bush has allowed Olmert a peek at the future 10:25  |  Natallie Durson 29/09/08
      7.   The first time he says something right! 10:27  |  Goy 29/09/08
      8.   #1 10:30  |  LK 29/09/08
      9.   olmert wishing us shana tova 10:31  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/09/08
      10.   arabs never cede land - why do we? godless 10:32  |  henry 29/09/08
      11.   Olmert forgets - Israel left Gaza and what resulted 10:32  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/08
      12.   Olmert can shut his mouth! 10:37  |  Joey 29/09/08
      13.   Sharon NEVER advocated withdrawal from E. Jerusalem, Golan 10:40  |  observer 29/09/08
      14.   The Old City of Jerusalem, all of it, as well as the areas which 10:40  |  Avihu 29/09/08
      15.   Be an example 10:47  |  Allan 29/09/08
      16.   Blockhead and in denial 10:51  |  Barbara 29/09/08
      17.   Many roads to a solution not just the radical lefts!!! 10:52  |  Ben Yeppi 29/09/08
      18.   Olmert`s Comments Re: E. Jerusalem & Golan 10:53  |  Chana Weiss 29/09/08
      19.   Olmert has seen the light at the end of the tunnel 10:53  |  Ivar 29/09/08
      20.   Lame duck Leader 10:54  |  Sydney 29/09/08
      21.   Olmert forgets by ben jabo 10:55  |  Chana Weiss 29/09/08
      22.   #2 10:59  |  Sydney 29/09/08
      23.   Olmeert - Israel`s Quisling!! 11:02  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/08
      24.   I too will cede 11:02  |  Oleh 29/09/08
      25.   Olmert suggests "those who want to act w/ZERO danger 11:03  |  Ari ben Yisrael 29/09/08
      26.   Olmert`s only stating the obvious. 11:13  |  Michael 29/09/08
      27.   Olmert must quit, not Israel 11:16  |  shlomo 29/09/08
      28.   BEN JABO - what resulted? what? 11:20  |  Philip 29/09/08
      29.   Olmert is telling the Israeli people/Jewish Diaspora the truth... 11:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/09/08
      30.   Who was the real Jesus? Jesus or Judah? 11:27  |  Israeli citizen 29/09/08
      31.   Israel must quit East Jerusalem and Golan 11:27  |  David 29/09/08
      32.   Olmert, you are a "Political Nobody" 11:34  |  Nora 29/09/08
      33.   Israel has no faith 11:34  |  lady from USA 29/09/08
      34.   The Golan 11:36  |  lady from USA 29/09/08
      35.   Crazy 11:38  |  Domagoj Franciskovic 29/09/08
      36.   Get out, Olmert. 11:39  |  American 29/09/08
      37.   Giving away our inheritance for a bowl of soup ? 11:40  |  Bill 29/09/08
      38.   Leftist Secular Humanistic Madness ?? 11:42  |  Bill 29/09/08
      39.   to Henry & Joey !!!! 11:42  |  pj 29/09/08
      40.   Jerusalem 11:44  |  Reuven 29/09/08
      41.   No peace until Jewish Messiah ?? 11:46  |  Bill 29/09/08
      42.   Olmert should be repenting to G-D for selling out our land ? 11:48  |  Bill 29/09/08
      43.   Jerusalem - 2 11:50  |  Reuven 29/09/08
      44.   This is Treason and should receive the penalty as such ?? 11:50  |  Bill 29/09/08
      45.   Finally the voice of reason (also to BEN JABO) 11:52  |  Northern 29/09/08
      46.   Israelis should listen to Olmert 11:52  |  Markus 29/09/08
      47.   The GENIOUS who brought us the Gaza "disengagement" 11:54  |  amir 29/09/08
      48.   Another Objective 11:57  |  guy 29/09/08
      49.   Olmert 12:03  |  MR 29/09/08
      50.   Waiting for Abbas to give up Right of Return to Israel... 12:05  |  I 29/09/08
      51.   It is a good thing he is going 12:10  |  CW 29/09/08
      52.   Good riddance to an incompetent leader. 12:15  |  Alon 29/09/08
      53.   We can`t dumb Oldmerd fast enough! 12:23  |  Wise Saba 29/09/08
      54.   olmert is the enemy arab in disguise 12:29  |  zionist forever 29/09/08
      55.   The strength of democracy. (Att. of Mr. Olmert) 12:30  |  Jean Van Daem 29/09/08
      56.   Olmert 12:31  |  Millicent 29/09/08
      57.   Olmert declares 12:33  |  joshua 29/09/08
      58.   CIVIL WAR IS COMING !!!!! ........... 12:47  |  Rich 29/09/08
      59.   the only way forward 12:51  |  alon 29/09/08
      60.   I could not believe it when i read it , wow 12:56  |  Gisele 29/09/08
      61.   Like jimmy carter who spoke of Apatheid after he quit presidency 12:58  |  Gisele 29/09/08
      62.   Bible Bill, fanatical Muslims were created by Fanatical Zionists