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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem on Monday. (Moshe Milner/GPO)
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Last update - 09:55 23/11/2007
PM: Maintaining status quo with Palestinians endangers Israel
By Barak Ravid, Avi Issacharoff and Amira Hass, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Annapolis, peace process 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that the status quo with the Palestinians cannot continue, as he prepared for his departure Sunday to the U.S.-sponsored peace summit in Annapolis.

As Olmert readies for his trip, Arab League foreign ministers were to meet in Cairo Friday to determine which countries will attend the summit, and at what level.

Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have still not managed to draft a common declaration that is meant to be one of the highlights at Annapolis, signaling the start of intensive negotiations between the two sides for a peace agreement.
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No further meetings on the issue have been scheduled for the time remaining before Olmert travels to Washington to attend the conference.

While the two sides have lessened the gaps in their positions in recent days, there still remain divisions over several central issues. Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas have been informed of these divisions so that they can make a decision ahead of the meeting in Annapolis, Maryland on Tuesday.

"We are having a time out," said a source in Jerusalem on Thursday. "The document is ready and awaiting only a few of the leaders' decisions."

At the moment, the decisions to be made by Olmert and Abbas are relate to the timetable of steps; mention of the Arab peace initiative and the role of the Arab world in the process; and how to deal with the "day after" the Annapolis conference.

"We have reduced the gaps and some of the divisions have simply been erased from the declaration in order to allow us to move ahead. We are now at the point of deciding on two or three words on each item," the Jerusalem source said.

Olmert said Thursday that he has "concluded that we cannot maintain the status quo between us and the Palestinians. We have spent too much time dealing with the status quo but it will lead to results that are much worse than those of a failed conference. It will result in Hamas taking over Judea and Samaria, to a weakening or even the disappearance of the moderate Palestinians. Unless a political horizon can be found, the results will be deadly."

Olmert added, "The gap is such that intensive negotiations will be able to narrow them to the point of formulating an agreement."

The negotiations, Olmert said, are expected "to be difficult, but all the difficulties of conducting negotiations are familiar to me. I am not approaching this with naiveté, but as a very sober person, who knows all [the Palestinians'] weaknesses."

On his relations with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and the doubts the latter expressed regarding the potential of the negotiations with the Palestinians, Olmert said, "I do not need to judge Barak about how he reaches his conclusions. The question is whether at the critical juncture, he will be with me or against me, and I maintain that he will be with me."

At Sharm el-Sheikh on Thursday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak hosted Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah.

According to an Egyptian government spokesman, the American invitation to the Annapolis summit is based on the principle "of land for peace and the Arab League peace initiative."

Olmert said that U.S. President George Bush will meet separately in Washington on Monday with him and with Abbas before meeting with both together. That evening, the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams will meet for dinner at the State Department, where Bush is expected to give an address.

The next day, the negotiators will move to Annapolis for the conference, which will begin with statements by Bush, Abbas and Olmert. The rest of the day will involve working groups.

Related links:
  • Joint document currently being drafted by Israel and the Palestinians
  • Official Annapolis conference Web site
  • List of invitees to peace conference in Annapolis
  • ANALYSIS: The importance of who attends Annapolis from Arab states
  • Barak: Israel mustn't allow itself to be blamed if Annapolis fails
  • Rice: U.S. will try to close Israeli-Palestinian peace deal in the next year
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    <
      1.   No surprise! 01:47  |  Allen 23/11/07
      2.   The peace summit will let the U.S. off the hook 01:59  |  Wendy 23/11/07
      3.   Until the arabs clean their house 02:06  |  IsraFan 23/11/07
      4.   I Read the Document.... 02:21  |  Dovy 23/11/07
      5.   Well, I guess all that`s left to do now is...Pray. 02:34  |  Be still and know... 23/11/07
      6.   Olmert, Livni, Bark - Don`t come home without a clear statement 02:38  |  Ra`aya 23/11/07
      7.   The Seething Left 03:00  |  Jane 23/11/07
      8.   HAARETZ, PUBLISH MY POST!! OLMERT, STOP GIVING LAND, LET SECURITY 05:16  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 23/11/07
      9.   Maybe You Had Better Read The Invitation Again 05:36  |  Jeff Northridge 23/11/07
      10.   Nonsense 06:06  |  Gene 23/11/07
      11.   OLMERT,YOU ENDANGER ISRAEL,STEP DOWN,LET DEFENCE HANDLE SITUATION 06:30  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 23/11/07
      12.   Same Kind of Lunacy Caused Previous Security Disasters 06:41  |  Tod Zuckerman 23/11/07
      13.   Only America can save Israel from itself now` 06:52  |  Ivar 23/11/07
      14.   wrong assumption 06:53  |  ron 23/11/07
      15.   IT`S ALL SOOO DUMB 06:58  |  Arik Silverman 23/11/07
      16.   Time Is On Israel`s Side: NOT The Philistines 07:24  |  Yishai Kohen 23/11/07
      17.   Olmert is a grave danger to Israel! 07:57  |  Avraham 23/11/07
      18.   Olmert is in "politician" mode 07:58  |  Natallie Durson 23/11/07
      19.   Road Map Resoution 242 ARABS please stick to it 07:59  |  Dally 23/11/07
      20.   to # 1 and 3-6...so try thinking again... 08:02  |  eric 23/11/07
      21.   # 7 not necassarily, yishai kohen 08:05  |  eric 23/11/07
      22.   Abbas is a afraid to make a `joint declaration` because of Hamas! 08:05  |  redmike 23/11/07
      23.   Thank you very much Ehud Olmert........ 08:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/11/07
      24.   #8, Durson 09:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/11/07
      25.   Arab-Israelis 09:29  |  Liberal or decent? 23/11/07
      26.   Ex-Likudnik Olmert Israels most reasonable politician today ?? 10:16  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/11/07
      27.   TWO OR THREE WORDS? HA..HA..HA.. 10:46  |  indrajaya 23/11/07
      28.   OLMERT ENDANGERS ISRAEL : POLICE ACTION NOW !! 10:47  |  D.Ranged 23/11/07
      29.   The `Status Quo` is Olmert, and HE has/is endangered/ing Israel 10:49  |  Pavel 23/11/07
      30.   elementary my dear what`s on 10:58  |  mel `n colic 23/11/07
      31.   Abbas will commit the same mistakes of Oslo 11:27  |  El-Birawi 23/11/07
      32.   Cipora re Natallie 11:43  |  Mary P 23/11/07
      33.   "and the role of the Arab world in the process;" 11:46  |  Virginia 23/11/07
      34.   #13 is ivar receiving psychiatric help? 11:47  |  victor hardman 23/11/07
      35.   Stop 2nd guessing and judging our leaders. Let go, Let God. 11:50  |  Virginia 23/11/07
      36.   27El Birawi,abbas should be tried for treason! 11:52  |  lakshmi 23/11/07
      37.   7Jane,before you go into a familiar tirade against the israeli 11:56  |  lakshmi 23/11/07
      38.   Maintaining status quo with Pals strengthens Israel 11:57  |  Joseph E . 23/11/07
      39.   27# El Birawi. Nothing but the truth so help me G-d. 11:58  |  Akram Zekaria 23/11/07
      40.   And a wonderful Thanksgiving it was! Went to see a good movie... 12:05  |  Virginia 23/11/07
      41.   How can we send response to Sharansky column when the talkback 12:13  |  Joseph E . 23/11/07
      42.   # 37 Akram Zekaria 12:24  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/11/07
      43.   WHAT LANGUAGE BOTH OF THEM USE 12:28  |  indrajaya 23/11/07
      44.   Only olmert stupidity endangers Israel 12:35  |  trumpeldor 23/11/07
      45.   Interesting ? indrajaya, perhaps we are moving beyond Babel 12:49  |  Virginia 23/11/07
      46.   Tzfonit RE Arabist 12:52  |  GABE1 23/11/07
      47.   Giving them parts of our homeland endangers Israel more 12:59  |  Zev 23/11/07
      48.   # 45, VIRGINIA 13:08  |  indrajaya 23/11/07
      49.   42# Swiss (Dino). Only lies to be blamed. 14:05  |  Akram Zekaria 23/11/07
      50.   #43 - why does it matter? They`re not saying anything important ! 14:18  |  redmike 23/11/07
      51.   indrajaya, different yes, worse for some, better for others 14:26  |  Virginia 23/11/07
      52.   olmert is right - no more status quo 14:46  |  roberta 23/11/07
      53.   avoiding overdue military action is a biggerr issue 15:01  |  Avi 23/11/07
      54.   If it has not come to be through Love, it is not to God`s Glory 15:11  |  Virginia 23/11/07
      55.   #13 15:51  |  Moshe 23/11/07
      56.   Giving up symbols central to Judaism endanger Israel more. 15:56  |  Gilad 23/11/07
      57.   # 49 Akram Zekaria 16:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/11/07
      58.   The basic error in the Rice-Olmert approach 16:37  |  Tosefta 23/11/07
      59.   No wonder wendy is #2 16:58  |  John 23/11/07
      60.   Israel`s Leading Military Historian on the Territories 16:59  |  Daybreak 23/11/07
      61.   #9 Jeff Northridge 17:01  |  Lynn 23/11/07
      62.   The Pals arent the danger to Israel - OLMERT is 17:13  |  pace306 23/11/07
      63.   Don`t accept the Arabs plan, 17:14  |  KUTW 23/11/07
      64.   Only the Jews ! 17:18  |  El-Birawi 23/11/07
      65.   There is nothing to negotiate 17:21  |  KUTW 23/11/07
      66.   Status Quo with Palestinians endangers Israel 17:30  |  Sue 23/11/07
      67.   #61 Say Cupcake Lynn 17:59  |  ballistic 23/11/07
      68.   # 2 Wendy....America is not responsible for 18:09  |  Lynn 23/11/07
      69.   Lynn # 61 Well Of Course, You`re Right 18:10  |  Jeff Northridge 23/11/07
      70.   Of course, Olmert is right 18:20  |  Dutch 23/11/07
      71.   El Birawi 18:23  |  Israeli 23/11/07
      72.   # 60 daybreak 18:30  |  Axel 23/11/07
      73.   #66, Refugee Pals & Sue 18:34  |  Raay 23/11/07
      74.   I think Olmert is scared of the demographic bomb 18:43  |  Palestinian Prince 23/11/07
      75.   # 6 Jane , Your primitive analysis 18:51  |  Dutch 23/11/07
      76.   Daybreak # 60 Van Creveld`s Mistake 19:00  |  Jeff Northridge 23/11/07
      77.   so israel finally realised.... 19:05  |  ravi 23/11/07
      78.   Olmert is in denial 19:13  |  The Arab Hammer 23/11/07