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Inside Israel

Olmert tries to take Israel with him


By Stan Goodenough
October 03, 2008

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert - who is leaving office under a cloud of corruption and graft allegations - at the weekend gave all his country's enemies reason to celebrate by declaring that Israel has no choice but to surrender the cradle of Jewish civilization to its enemies.

Apart from Samaria and Judea - land the anti-Israel world calls the West Bank - Israel would also have to give away the Golan Heights, the high ground that has successfully kept Israel's border with Syria quiet for more than 40 years.

And "eastern Jerusalem," which includes the Temple Mount, the holiest site for the Jewish people, would also have to go.

The mass-circulation newspaper Yediot Ahronot Monday published Olmert's treacherous words in what it called his "legacy interview" timed to be read just hours before the Jews celebrated Rosh Hashanah - their New Year.

While former premier Ariel Sharon, had "spoke[n] about painful costs and refused to elaborate, I say we have no choice but to elaborate."

Sounding almost out of control, Olmert insisted that at "the end of the day, we will have to withdraw from the most decisive areas of the territories. In exchange for the same territories left in our hands, we will have to give compensation in the form of territories within the State of Israel.

"I think," Olmert said, as if trying to reassure the nation - a great many of whom are disgusted with his performance in the Prime Minister's Office - "we are very close to an agreement."

"First and foremost, we must make a decision," he continued.

He said he'd "like to see if there is one serious person in the State of Israel who believes it is possible to make peace with the Syrians without eventually giving up the Golan Heights."

And stooping to sarcasm, Olmert said that those afraid of renewed attacks from a Syria once again in control on the heights "should move to Switzerland."

His comments, which the far-leftist Israeli daily Ha'aretz excitedly described as "the clearest sign to date of Olmert's willingness to meet key

Palestinian [sic] demands in peace [sic] talks," were flashed around the world.

The anti-Israel Los Angeles Times called it "Olmert's intriguing swan song" while a blogger for The Nation trumpeted that the man who was once the strongly Zionist mayor of Jerusalem has finally given up on "Greater Israel."

PLO and Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday evening praised Olmert's "offer" saying that if the views expressed by the Israeli could be implemented "we could have peace in two days time."

Without exception, leaders of the entire international community today support the immoral and unrighteous effort to squeeze Israel into giving away its God-promised land to appease the incessantly belligerent, oil-rich Arab world.

Meanwhile Israeli police are preparing to question Olmert for the eighth time Thursday, reportedly on more corruption allegations.

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