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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert addressing a surprise press conference on Monday. (Channel Two) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 13:24 30/10/2007 Polls after PM cancer revelation: Highest approval since 2006 war By Barak Ravid, Aluf Benn and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents Polls published Tuesday after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert disclosed he has prostate cancer put his approval ratings at their highest point since last summer's war in Lebanon. Olmert, 62, will undergo an operation for the removal of his prostate gland after the Annapolis peace summit, aides to the prime minister said Monday. Olmert announced the impending surgery to the nation at a hastily convened news conference in Jerusalem Monday, when he revealed that a cancerous growth had been found on his prostate. The prime minister stressed that it is not life threatening, and that he intends to continue working as usual until the operation, and as soon as he recovers following the surgery. Advertisement A Dahaf Research Institute survey taken immediately after Olmert's announcement showed 41 percent of Israelis said Olmert was doing a good job, a 6 percentage point increase from the previous month. Pollsters surveyed 500 people, and the margin of error was 4.3 percentage points. Another poll by the TNS Teleseker polling company showed 11 percent of the respondents thought Olmert was the most suitable candidate to serve as prime minister, up from 4.8 percent in June. The leading candidate was Benjamin Netanyahu, who mustered support from 31 percent of those questioned. The survey of 412 people had a margin of error of 4.8 percentage points. Olmert's public standing had been battered by dissatisfaction with his handling of Israel's war against Hezbollah guerrillas and multiple corruption suspicions against him. But his popularity spiked after a recent Israeli airstrike against Syria, and that upward direction continued after Olmert announced a tiny cancerous tumor was found in his prostate gland and he would have to undergo surgery to remove it. PM to Rice: I'll work at full pace Olmert's bureau issued a statement Monday that the operation will be carried out after the summit, because it was necessary to wait several weeks after the biopsy, which was conducted 10 days ago. Following the operation, Olmert will not be able to travel abroad for three to four weeks, "and we do not intend to delay the meeting at Annapolis for this," a source in his bureau said. In a telephone conversation with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice- who called to ask about his health Monday - Olmert said that "I will continue working at full pace... and I will attend the international meeting in Annapolis before the operation." Rice called Olmert to wish him a speedy recovery, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. He said he did not expect Olmert's illness to affect Rice's plans to visit Israel and Palestinian territories beginning this weekend. Olmert's opposite number for the conference, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, himself battled prostate cancer, undergoing surgery in Washington in 2001. Following his visit to Paris and London, Olmert was told by his physicians last Wednesday that they had discovered a cancerous growth. According to Shlomo Segev, one of the doctors, Olmert did not show any signs of anxiety when he was informed about the illness, and "was very quiet." Olmert briefed a number of senior figures in the political leadership on Sunday and Monday about the illness, including President Shimon Peres, Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and several other ministers. At the news conference, the prime minister said that "according to medical opinion, there will be no need for radiation or chemotherapy treatment." He also noted that following the operation, "I will be fit to fulfill my duties fully, prior to the treatment and also several hours after it." The doctors said that the operation, which will last two hours, can be carried out under local or full anesthesia. If the latter is selected, then the prime minister will have to declare "temporary incapacity" and pass on his authority, temporarily, to Livni. Senior officials at the Prime Minister's Bureau said that in that case, the necessary arrangements will be made with Attorney General Menachem Mazuz. Olmert is likely to remain hospitalized for three days after the operation, which will probably be carried out at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, under Professor Ramon. Related articles: ANALYSIS: A prime minister must be transparent about his health Background: Olmert's medical record - Good, an avid runner Medical history: Health problems of serving prime ministers From Camp David to Annapolis Bookmark to del.icio.us China, Israel diverge With Livni in Beijing, China rejects Israel's call for tougher sanctions against Iran. Amending aliyah Interior Minister Sheetrit says Jews should not be granted automatic Israeli citizenship.   1.   HAVE OPPERATION BEFORE CONFERENCE 14:16  |  John the gentile 30/10/07   2.   how sad. 14:37  |  Gabriel 30/10/07   3.   To John the Gentile - Give the Holy lLand away? 14:44  |  Dolly 30/10/07   4.   Dolly - you imbecile 14:54  |  Banana 30/10/07   5.   Olmert should resign because he is a catastrophy for Israel 14:59  |  Norman 30/10/07   6.   So in order to be a good leader you have 15:24  |  Doreen 30/10/07   7.   A MASTER STRATEGIST WAS AT WORK 15:28  |  Dolly 30/10/07   8.   #2 Gabriel - I figured this would happen 15:52  |  Yonatan 30/10/07   9.   Wish Olmert understood he is not indispensable! 16:08  |  Alicia 30/10/07   10.   PM Cancer Revelation 16:13  |  JordanisPalestine 30/10/07   11.   The best thing he has achived. We love him now. 16:19  |  Shimon 30/10/07   12.   If it is Much ado about Nothing......then 16:36  |  Dagma 30/10/07   13.   People understand that Olmer`s problem is serious ! 16:41  |  redmike 30/10/07   14.   # 3 - John was saying that Olmert can`t give Israel away! 16:44  |  redmike 30/10/07   15.   #4 - well at least 60% of Israelis agree with you :-) 16:52  |  redmike 30/10/07   16.   Redmike how sad 17:23  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   17.   ONLY AMONG THE LEFT-WING LUNATICS 18:11  |  WARRIOR 30/10/07   18.   Yonatan misunderstood me.no spinned docs needed! 18:32  |  Gabriel 30/10/07   19.   #3 Dolly the deceitful 18:42  |  Boycott 30/10/07   20.   PRIME MINISTER WITHOUT PERSONAL PROBLEMS NEEDED. 19:02  |  Hugo H. Mendelsohn 30/10/07   21.   To Banana # 4 Sorry I misunderstood..... 20:24  |  Dolly 30/10/07   22.   Latest polls does not = re-election 20:27  |  Ronnbo 30/10/07   23.   strange artical 20:36  |  yakov 30/10/07   24.   To Boycott # 19 - Churchill 20:43  |  Dolly 30/10/07   25.   To Hugo H. Mendelsohn # 20 = Great Post 20:55  |  Dolly 30/10/07   26.   where oh Where have All those Good Wishes gone? 21:10  |  Dagma 30/10/07   27.   Rating on sickness 21:47  |  Brod 30/10/07   28.   so called peacenik Margie mourns war criminal. 22:30  |  Labhras 30/10/07   29.   #3 Dolly believes in fairy tales 23:07  |  Labhras 30/10/07   30.   Re Dolly #$ 23:11  |  Esther 30/10/07   31.   Nay-sayers and worse ... 23:31  |  Esther 30/10/07   32.   guess... 03:04  |  glandular 31/10/07

Today Online Bradley Burston: It's Judeo-Fascism Month in the state of Israel Responses: 126 IDF's tactical upper hand over Hamas in Gaza is diminishing Responses: 174 PA negotiator: No talks without timeline for Palestinian state Responses: 77 Moshe Arens: What the Qassams are costing Israel Responses: 89 Druze MK demands top cop's dismissal over Galilee clash Responses: 78 Rosner's Domain * Churchill became more pro-Zionist when Zionism became less popular in England * WTR: The Christian perspective of Ann Coulter * Is Tikkun Olam a substitute for Israel? * Is Haaretz really better than the New York Times? More Headlines 04:04 Two people shot dead outside T.A. nightclub 03:25 IDF strikes kill four Hamas men, wound 3 civilians in Gaza Strip 03:03 UN investigating if Egypt broke promise by deporting Sudanese 04:35 Lawmakers condemn police's 'unrestrained use of violence' 05:06 Jewish American donors make bid to separate JA from WZO 04:10 'Hagashash Hahiver' actor Yisrael Poliakov passes away at 66 04:16 Druze MK demands top cop's dismissal over Galilee clash 23:44 Egypt police: Gazans caught in tunnel members of Army of Islam 02:00 Prague again bans neo-Nazi march through Jewish quarter 22:45 EU urges Israel to reconsider cuts in energy supply to Gaza Previous Editions Select Day 30 oct 29 oct 28 oct 26 oct 25 oct 24 oct 23 oct 22 oct 21 oct 19 oct 18 oct 17 oct

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