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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 09:54 25/11/2007 We are not suckers By Uzi Benziman Tags: Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak  On November 16, 1977, a journalist asked then-foreign minister Moshe Dayan if he thought Egyptian president Anwar Sadat would really come to Israel. At the same time, Sadat was meeting with Hafez Assad, his Syrian counterpart in Damascus, in an effort to gain his blessing for the planned visit to Jerusalem and to convince him to join. Dayan was unable to offer the reporter a definitive answer. He placed a piece of apple on a slice of cheese, and gave the reporter one of his sly looks: "I don't know if Sadat will come. I guess he will, but if I'm mistaken, I'll explain to you next week why it was assumed from the start that he would not show." The story is retold here, on the morning Prime Minister Ehud Olmert departs for Annapolis, to highlight the uncertainty under which heads of state operate. Three days prior to Sadat's touchdown in Ben-Gurion International Airport, Dayan did not know for certain whether the visit would actually take place. This was the same man who two months earlier held secret talks in Morocco with Hassan al-Tuhami, Sadat's envoy, and began preparing the ground for the dramatic peace initiative - and still he was unsure. If during that same week, opinion polls had been taken in Israel about conditions for peace, it is reasonable to assume that in the best case scenario, the picture would have been complex: refusal to withdraw from Sinai, but support for the effort to bring an end to the conflict with Egypt. When Sadat descended from the aircraft, in a single stroke he broke the psychological barrier that divided Israel and Egypt, and completely altered the mood in this country. The Egyptian president charmed the Israeli leadership and the general public; from being a satanic figure that tricked the IDF during the Yom Kippur War, the mysterious Middle Eastern prince transformed into someone with whom it was desirable to reach an agreement and even pay the full price he was asking for it. Advertisement As Olmert takes off for the United States, he is feeling his way forward: He aspires to break the status quo in relations with the Palestinians but lacks public backing for this. According to the public opinion surveys published Friday in Ma'ariv, and mostly in Yedioth Ahronoth, the public's views are contradictory: There is general support for participating in the summit (69 percent in favor), but clear objection to discussing the controversial core issues with the Palestinians (71 percent among the Jewish population). Furthermore, there is objection to paying the cost of achieving an agreement with the Palestinians (63 percent oppose evacuating most of the settlements, 66 percent oppose concessions in Jerusalem). Even the evacuation of the illegal outposts, prior to the conclusion of negotiations with the Palestinians is something the majority of the public (56 percent) opposes. The political map reflects the public's views: Olmert is going to the summit with his hands tied; if he diverts from the dictates of Avigdor Lieberman and Eli Yishai, he may lose his majority in parliament. At this moment, the Knesset is not supporting the prime minister's efforts to break the status quo in Israel's relations with the Palestinians; if he disobeys the parliament - he may lose his job. In order to help Olmert extricate himself from this bind, the Arab guests at the summit must break their psychological barriers. If the stances taken (or orchestrated) at the summit succeed in shaking the lack of confidence the Israeli public has in the intentions of the Palestinians and the Arab states, its opinion may change. In this respect, it is disappointing to hear the announcement of the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia that he is traveling to the U.S., but does not intend to take part "in this theatrical gesture of shaking hands." The behavior of the Arab foreign ministers toward the Israeli delegation to Annapolis will press a sensitive point among Israelis - their fear that they may be seen as suckers. This will be perceived in Israel as proof there is no chance of successful negotiations with them and of the prime minister's stupidity. Saud al-Faisal and his colleagues should treat Olmert like Sadat treated Begin in 1977 - not like Farouk al-Shara treated Ehud Barak in Shepherdstown in 2000. They must take into account that the opposition reflected in the polls does not necessarily reflect devotion to the idea of the whole Land of Israel, but uncertainty about the willingness of the Palestinians to end the conflict after an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. Bookmark to del.icio.us Virtual diplomacy Peres Center to distribute computer game simulating the peace process. Size does matter A giant Israeli flag at Masada breaks world record for largest in world.   1.   No way forward except this one 10:10  |  Khalil Ishabib 25/11/07   2.   Very good idea, but it also works the other way around..... 10:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 25/11/07   3.   ALL OF THEM ARE SUCKERS 10:58  |  indrajaya 25/11/07   4.   WAS Sadaat publishing the Protocols&other lying antisemitic filth 11:08  |  PETER S.M. 25/11/07   5.   My "Two Point Plan" 12:40  |  Natallie Durson 25/11/07   6.   #5 nutullie and another 1938 czechoslovakia 13:01  |  victor hardman 25/11/07   7.   Peter SM and Swiss Dino - back to school 13:01  |  Ofer 25/11/07   8.   indrajaya...ALL ARE SUCKERS? Well....look who`s talking..... 13:04  |  Ofer 25/11/07   9.   Khalil Ishabib 13:20  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 25/11/07   10.   # 7, OFER 13:24  |  indrajaya 25/11/07   11.   THE ARABS SHOULD MAKE A CITIZENS ARREST F THEY SEE HIM 13:49  |  D.Tecktive 25/11/07   12.   #5 things that can break this blockage 13:52  |  Axel 25/11/07   13.   what we`re actually witnessing here is a plea... 14:47  |  eric 25/11/07   14.   OFER"clueless abou the Arab world"Which part of my post is untrue 15:07  |  PETER S.M. 25/11/07   15.   eric tell us all how you know about the will of the people ? 15:42  |  victor hardman 25/11/07   16.   #2 swiss dino 16:54  |  duncan 25/11/07   17.   #15 victor hardman 17:05  |  Axel 25/11/07   18.   There is NO similarity between Begin and Olmert! 17:58  |  redmike 25/11/07   19.   Dyan Had Broken the Egyptian 3rd Army... 18:21  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 25/11/07   20.   #13 why not force Palestinians to drop "return" 18:23  |  McQueen 25/11/07   21.   # so called peacemaker 18:44  |  Labhras 25/11/07   22.   Swiss Dino ""Our pull out of Gaza will be the final.... 18:53  |  B`Galil 25/11/07   23.   to #1 Khalil Ishabib - First let`s have democracy in Jordan,etc. 18:59  |  B`Galil 25/11/07   24.   # 16 duncan 20:09  |  Swiss (Dino) 25/11/07   25.   # 22 B`Galil 20:18  |  Swiss (Dino) 25/11/07   26.   Benziman confuses cause and effect 20:25  |  Tosefta 25/11/07   27.   # 24 swiss 21:29  |  duncan 25/11/07   28.   #1 Khalil Ishabib: what you have written is very significant 21:52  |  Fairplay 25/11/07   29.   Lieberman + Yishai = Olmert`s future 22:41  |  Nora 25/11/07   30.   Peter SM 22:43  |  Ofer 25/11/07   31.   Durson`s arrogance again 22:58  |  Alex Frank 25/11/07   32.   indrajaya # 10 your post pretty much sums up every arab/muslim 05:00  |  terrornator 26/11/07   33.   #18 06:50  |  GPWS1 26/11/07

Today Online Gideon Levy: Israel the occupier is making the demands of a thief Responses: 408 Israel welcomes Syrian participation in Annapolis conference Responses: 155 U.K. rights group slams Oxford invite to Holocaust denier Responses: 66 Iranian VP: Iran has produced nuclear fuel to power reactor Responses: 72 Zvi Bar'el: Attendance of Arab FMs is first victory of Annapolis Responses: 57 More Headlines 06:19 PM to discuss Iran with Bush during U.S. visit 03:08 J'lem sources: PM to call for road map implementation in Annapolis 05:34 Bush: Annapolis is a chance to redouble bid for 2-state solution 06:18 ANALYSIS / Should IDF reduce its PA activity ahead of Summit? 03:42 Jerry Seinfeld banters with local reporters after meeting Olmert 05:12 Rightists target mainstream to fight concessions at Annapolis 04:43 Study: Israelis' confidence in IDF, security services at 7-year low 23:09 Giant Israeli flag breaks world record for largest in world 20:43 Israel to go on high terror alert due to Annapolis peace summit 21:47 Thousands of Israelis, Palestinians to make peace - virtually Previous Editions Select Day 25 nov 23 nov 22 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 16 nov 15 nov 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov

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