Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., January 09, 2008 Shvat 2, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:07 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
U.S. President George W. Bush (Reuters)
Last update - 15:35 07/01/2008
Olmert to assure Bush he will remove outposts 'expeditiously'
By Barak Ravid and Reuters, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, West Bank 

Israel will tell U.S. President George W. Bush during his visit to the
region this week that it is committed to acting expeditiously to dismantle unauthorized West Bank settlement outposts, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday.

Israel has pledged repeatedly to take action on the outposts, generally small encampments settlers have set up in the West Bank.
Advertisement
Olmert spokesman Mark Regev did not say how quickly Israel would take down the dozens of outposts.

Israel first pledged to remove West Bank outposts in 2003, under the U.S.-backed road map peace plan. That plan, however, stalled shortly after it was launched because Israel and the Palestinians failed to honor initial obligations.

But Regev said conditions have changed since Israel and the Palestinians relaunched peace talks at an international conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November.

"What is new in the post-Annapolis process is that there isn't an expectation that Israel alone will implement its obligations under the road map in a vacuum," Regev said. "Rather, the expectation is that both sides will in parallel move forward in implementing their
obligations. Obviously, that framework makes the process more doable."

"Olmert," he added, "is committed to acting expeditiously on this matter."

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said he hoped Olmert would follow through. "I hope that he will dismantle the outposts ... so that we can make 2008 a year of peace and treaty, Erekat said. We'll judge it once we see it."

The government, however, is refusing to publish a database containing full details about the settlements and outposts. In response to a High Court of Justice petition on the matter, the Defense Ministry has argued that publication would harm state security and Israel's foreign relations.

Bush will arrive in Israel on Wednesday and visit the Palestinian Authority on Thursday. According to Palestinian sources, no trilateral meeting between Bush, Olmert and PA President Mahmoud Abbas is expected.

The U.S. leader has already made clear that the outposts are one of the main issues he plans to discuss with Olmert during his visit. In several media interviews in recent days, he has termed settlement expansion an obstacle to peace and stressed that Israel must honor its promise to evacuate illegal outposts.

Government sources said that Olmert has held a series of discussions on the outposts recently and has been briefed on the Defense Ministry's efforts to reach an agreement with the settlers on evacuating them voluntarily. "We've tried to reach an agreement, but so far the settlers haven't presented satisfactory options," one source said.

Olmert will tell Bush that Israel has no intention of accepting illegal settlement activity, the sources added. "There is also a domestic Israeli desire not to leave something illegal on the ground, and a way will be found to deal with this," one source quoted Olmert as planning to say.

Another source, who is involved with the outpost issue, said that Olmert plans to show Bush the proposed new rules on construction in the territories that the ministerial committee on outposts plans to adopt. But the source added that "there will be no outpost evacuations" before the Winograd Committee's report on the Second Lebanon War is published and "the political situation [after the report] becomes clear." The report is due out on January 30.

Palestinian sources said that Abbas will press Bush to demand that Olmert announce a complete freeze on settlement construction during his visit. Abbas will also raise this demand at a planned meeting with Olmert on Tuesday. In addition, Abbas intends to demand that Israel stop all military operations in the West Bank and Gaza.

Palestinian officials also hope that Bush will reiterate his commitment to seeing a Palestinian state arise before he leaves office a year from now.

During his visit to the PA, Bush will meet with Abbas, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and members of the Palestinian negotiating team. He might also visit Jericho and Bethlehem, but the Americans have not yet confirmed this.

At their meeting on Tuesday, Olmert and Abbas will approve the format for final-status negotiations proposed by the heads of the respective negotiating teams, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian premier Ahmed Qureia.

Livni and Qureia will meet Monday to finalize the format. As reported in Haaretz Sunday, the main innovation they are proposing is for the three core issues - borders, Jerusalem and refugees - to be handled by a single committee headed by themselves, rather than by three separate committees, as had been the norm in previous rounds of talks.


Related articles:
  • Peace Now's list and map of illegal outposts
  • Under half of illegal outposts slated for evacuation
  • Citing security, state refuses to release data on settlements
  • Bush: Settlement expansion 'impediment' to peace
  • Words won't stop the construction
  • PM: No West Bank construction without my prior approval
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Oh Hillary
    Clinton throws everything but the kitchen sink at New Hampshire.
    Jewel of the Crown
    Diamond billionaire Lev Leviev buys most expensive property ever sold in Britain.
      1.   ENOUGH ASSURANCES ALREADY! 04:03  |  Ussishkin 07/01/08
      2.   The Arabs must make very painful concessions for real peace! 04:11  |  Uzi 07/01/08
      3.   Overhead Imagery 04:11  |  Mark of Lewiston 07/01/08
      4.   There can never be separate Arab polity west of the Jordan! 04:13  |  Uzi 07/01/08
      5.   Equitable and practical Partition Plan that may work for a change 04:14  |  Uzi 07/01/08
      6.   settlements obstacle 04:23  |  marcel 07/01/08
      7.   YOU MUST LEAVE NOW TAKE WHAT YOU NEED YOU THINK WILL LAST 04:24  |  SQUATTERS 07/01/08
      8.   Bush`s visit 06:42  |  Steve Beikirch 07/01/08
      9.   A Problem In Translation 06:45  |  Yosemite 07/01/08
      10.   very re-assuring indeed 07:04  |  RM 07/01/08
      11.   Assurances mean less than Jack`s....you know 07:07  |  Awake 07/01/08
      12.   The Settlements Are Not The Issue 07:22  |  Ben Israel 07/01/08
      13.   I love the juxtaposition of Haaretz headlines! 07:36  |  Johnboy 07/01/08
      14.   olmert promises 08:02  |  marv 07/01/08
      15.   #12 A masterful bit of handwaving, Ben Israel. 08:23  |  Johnboy 07/01/08
      16.   how lmuch longer will olmert remain in office 08:38  |  victor hardman 07/01/08
      17.   Olmert`s and Sharon`s Promises 08:39  |  Mark of Lewiston 07/01/08
      18.   Ehud and Aliza 08:44  |  Connie 07/01/08
      19.   Just what we need. Another promise 09:00  |  Natallie Durson 07/01/08
      20.   How Does Bush Spell Illegal ? A - M - N - E - S - T- Y 09:18  |  Klaudia 07/01/08
      21.   We Want Data About the Arabs` Masses 09:20  |  Joseph E . 07/01/08
      22.   The situation where it is proposed to terror PLO-PA 09:29  |  Joseph E . 07/01/08
      23.   "Settlements", such a nice euphemism 09:30  |  Clickfool 07/01/08
      24.   OH, MY GOD 09:31  |  indrajaya 07/01/08
      25.   OH, MY GOD 09:32  |  indrajaya 07/01/08
      26.   Uzi`s colonial mentality # 4 09:32  |  Clickfool 07/01/08
      27.   Israeli smiles, reassurances and outrageous lies 09:36  |  Clickfool 07/01/08
      28.   So as not to shock the people 09:36  |  Joseph E . 07/01/08
      29.   PM bla bla...Bush bla bla... illegal outposts... bla 09:41  |  Esther 07/01/08
      30.   Good Logic: Homes Bad, Terrorist Good 09:54  |  Mark Hamil 07/01/08
      31.   More Zionist Lies; Never trust Israel 10:01  |  Chanalau, Tova 07/01/08
      32.   to johnboy, # 15 10:04  |  dan 07/01/08
      33.   #17 duly elected by whom mark of lewis? 10:07  |  victor hardman 07/01/08
      34.   12Ben Israel&15 johnboy,ben israel,in a way your reasoning is 10:26  |  lakshmi 07/01/08
      35.   Settler on stolen Land! 10:32  |  Dav 07/01/08
      36.   Uzi...Jordan do not want more Palis... 10:41  |  Ofer Maimon 07/01/08
      37.   Durson I guess it is always ALL Israel`s fault forever. How goofy 10:54  |  Elie, RN 07/01/08
      38.   1 OUSTED, 10 SETTLED IN 11:32  |  indrajaya 07/01/08
      39.   WHY NOT JUST DO THEM ALL? 11:33  |  eric 07/01/08
      40.   #32 actually, dan..... 11:59  |  Johnboy 07/01/08
      41.   Elie, RN: Yes, it is Israels fault there is no peace agreement 12:11  |  Natallie Durson 07/01/08
      42.   Bush violates Human rights&Bible 12:18  |  sam 07/01/08
      43.   Laughable, Bush last year - and now comes the punchline 12:18  |  Joe 07/01/08
      44.   Olmert Gov`t Policies of Restraint put at risk Bush` Life 12:21  |  Joseph E . 07/01/08
      45.   johnboy and un resolutions 12:51  |  zevulun 07/01/08
      46.   The worn-down cabaret show of the head negotiating with the hand 12:54  |  zmogus 07/01/08
      47.   johnboy and outposts and settlements 12:54  |  zevulun 07/01/08
      48.   Durson `You don`t have to be a Jew to understand....` 13:07  |  BC 07/01/08
      49.   #29, Ester. Erratum 13:14  |  zmogus 07/01/08
      50.   zevulum ...Jhnboy needs to concentrate on 13:20  |  Lynn 07/01/08
      51.   Why does Israel have to pay for Bush`s mistakes in Iraq? 13:24  |  Zev 07/01/08
      52.   The only settlement Bush will get in this area 13:26  |  Beni 07/01/08
      53.   Ignore the reality behind the curtain 13:34  |  Mark Lincoln 07/01/08
      54.   "a complete freeze on settlement construction" 13:49  |  Mahmoud 07/01/08
      55.   Olmert`s plan 14:08  |  H50 07/01/08
      56.   Johmboy...second attempt 14:19  |  Lynn 07/01/08
      57.   Olmert is Bush`s puppy dog 14:36  |  Hilda 07/01/08
      58.   Re zmogus #49 14:55  |  Esther 07/01/08
      59.   Olmert and Bush 14:56  |  Brod 07/01/08
      60.   Terrorist activity has to be curbed by the Palis in return 15:05  |  The Equalizer 07/01/08
      61.   Pal Promise dismantle terror, stop incitement? 15:28  |  B 07/01/08
      62.   # 48 BC 15:31  |  Natallie Durson 07/01/08
      63.   Israel faking a change 15:38  |  Tosefta 07/01/08
      64.   "PALESTINE" IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY 15:41  |  20x20 07/01/08
      65.   #57, Hilda. On which end of the leash is really the puppy dog? 15:42  |  zmogus 07/01/08
      66.   When things MAY start moving 15:46  |  Tosefta 07/01/08
      67.   what crap - even Bush won`t believe those stories 15:52  |  Bruno 07/01/08
      68.   Johnboy # 40 The Arab Ultimatum 16:10  |  Jeff Northridge 07/01/08
      69.   Arab states 16:25</