A lame but determined duck - Haaretz

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Wed., January 16, 2008 Shvat 9, 5768

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A lame but determined duck

By Yoel Marcus

Tags: Israel, Ehud Olmert, PA

If George W. Bush is a lame duck, it's not only because this is his last year in the White House, but because of all of Ehud Olmert's friendly slaps on the back. There wasn't one photo of them that didn't show the prime minister cuffing Bush right and left in a nonstop display of typical Israeli chumminess.

In his own way, Bush, too, radiated personal affection for Olmert and Israel. He was positively beaming at the dance performance at the President's Residence, and he said what had to be said when he visited Yad Vashem. But let's not forget that he is also the first American president to pay an official visit to the Palestinian Authority.

With all the show of playing the nice guy in Israel, he didn't let us forget for a minute that while this may be his last year in office, his feathers have not been plucked. In the course of private talks, the president made it clear, with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's forceful assistance, that America has important interests in the Arab countries he is visiting this week.

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Hamas controls a large part of the territories under Palestinian Authority administration. The discovery of explosive materials and laboratories for building rockets illustrates the weakness of the PA leadership, and how important it is for Israel to abide by its commitments and strengthen these leaders.

During the visit, Bush explicitly used the word "occupation" for the first time. To resolve the Israeli-Arab conflict, he said, "There should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967." In the role of Dr. Jekyll, he exudes extraordinary friendship and warmth toward Israel. In the role of Mr. Hyde, he makes it clear that by the end of 2008, Israel had better reach an agreement.

These remarks were read aloud from a written statement at his hotel in Jerusalem. They were not off-the-cuff, and there was no palsy-walsy winking out of the corner of his eye. They were unequivocal guidelines addressed to us to get moving on a solution for the core issues: the borders, Jerusalem and the refugees. They imply that the occupation cannot continue. Olmert agreed in principle, speaking in terms of future objectives. But Bush's demands are for now, while he is still president.

In the meetings held behind closed doors after the backslapping was over, one of the subjects was Iran. Thousands of hours of work by our intelligence branches were crammed into an hour and a quarter to provide the president with a different picture than the one presented by his 16 spy agencies. Bush is not ready to scrap his assessment that the Iranian nuclear program is still moving toward the production of a bomb. A country that spends $10 billion on developing missiles is not doing it to launch conventional warheads. "I'm following my own instincts," Bush told Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

During this last year, Bush says he intends to be an active president. If extremists in Israel are betting their money on attempts to buy time and dodge commitments, they are taking a big risk. The president, a great friend of Israel, may leave memorandums behind that obligate the next president. But he might not, if he feels that his vision is not being respected.

Bush expects Israel to make full use of all the strategic assets he has laid on the table. That includes the president's letter to Ariel Sharon on the subject of settlement blocs, which can be used in talks to work out permanent borders. It includes the idea that the State of Israel is the state of the Jewish people, which effectively rules out a Palestinian right of return. It includes the road map and Palestinian commitments to dismantle the terror organizations in the West Bank and Gaza.

The most important thing is that Bush leave the road map in full operating mode when he goes home. Who can promise that the next president will be committed to it?

One of the current demands facing Israel is the immediate evacuation of unauthorized outposts. This evacuation has become a test on several counts: First and foremost, whether the prime minister is able to keep promises to the United States, and whether he realizes that if he does not uproot settlements, he turns Bush into a partner in the Israeli occupation in the eyes of the moderate Arab countries.

But then you get up one morning this week and hear Olmert bombastically declaring what a disgrace it is that these outposts are still around. Really? Where has he been until now? What's he been doing that kept him from dismantling even one measly outpost? Waiting for the Winograd report? Quaking in his boots at the thought of a face-off with the settlers?

If there is anyone who knows this, it's Olmert: When you've got a friendly president like Bush, you don't mess around. In the political world, even a lame duck has talons.

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1.	Good Article Yoel marcus	10:19	\|	Natallie Durson	15/01/08

2.	Ahhhh....sweet	10:47	\|	Clickfool	15/01/08

3.	more comedy from marcus bush is no friend	11:19	\|	v hardman	15/01/08

4.	OF COURSE, 600.000 DEATHS AND COUNTING	11:21	\|	indrajaya	15/01/08

5.	A lame but determined duck	11:44	\|	Hans Rudolf	15/01/08

6.	Fantasyland	11:57	\|	Kulak	15/01/08

7.	BUSH PUSHING ANTI-ISRAEL AGENDA OF STATE DEPT ARABISTS	13:01	\|	G. Marcus	15/01/08

8.	Hot Potato: The Left Medias	13:05	\|	Joseph E .	15/01/08

9.	it appears...	13:36	\|	saul a. readner	15/01/08

10.	lame duck	14:34	\|	elliot	15/01/08

11.	marcus and olmert	14:57	\|	marcel	15/01/08

12.	Final Status Negotiations	15:44	\|	Roger Bannister	15/01/08

13.	Reply to Elliot (Post No. 10)	16:25	\|	Johnny Weintraub	15/01/08

14.	Once you turn Left you end up Bush..	16:54	\|	Akram Zekaria	15/01/08

15.	state departmen (spokeperson bush)	23:00	\|	bozhidar	15/01/08

16.	Superb commentary as usual by Yoel Marcus!	05:51	\|	Smadar	16/01/08

17.	yoel marcus` wise remarks	09:25	\|	scallywag	16/01/08

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