President Bush wants nothing to do with Olmert’s “convergence,” sensing — rightly — that the entire world refuses to recognize unilateral Israeli borders.
US President George W. Bush is not expected to express his support of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s convergence plan following his meeting with Olmert in Washington, the prime minister’s aides estimated Tuesday night just before the prime minister’s preparation delegation was about to return from the American capital.
The delegation members met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and senior White House staff.
During the Bush-Olmert summit, which is expected to last up to two hours, the president is expected to listen to the new prime minister’s stance regarding the convergence. Bush, who is facing difficult problems from within as well as a drop in his popularity in public opinion polls in light of the ongoing war in Iraq, does not plan to delve into Olmert’s plan for unilateral moves to set Israel’s permanent borders.
Israel is aware of the US government’s traditional stance, which supports setting permanent borders in an agreement and not unilaterally. European governments also back this stance.
The fabled letter from Bush to Sharon, which he used to withdraw from Gaza, apparently does not extend to unilateral borders. I can’t say I’m either surprised, or disappointed. Withdrawing now, in this manner, is seen as retreat, and will be treated as such. It is more than rhetoric. I’m starting to read articles about the Israeli morale sinking, including in the IDF.
Do I have a solution? Not really. Keep building the fence, taking out terrorists, and putting the crush on Hamas. Of course, I’m also all for all-out war with the terrorists, but they don’t have a front, hide behind women and children (if not actually disguising themselves as women), and don’t congregate in one place in the open except during funerals, where there are also — surprise! — women and children.
Then again, we have that 3,000-strong “police” force rarin’ to go, so maybe they’ll get cocky and try to do something with it.
The morale in the IDF is not sinking. They are doing a great job – got two Islamic Jihadis today in Nablus. However what might effect morale is the new idiot Defense Minister the Stalin lookalike Amir Peretz.
I wish though that Israel would adopt a consistent philosophy based on total military victory, reopening the Karni crossing is ridiculous.
Meryl:
I’m also all for all-out war with the terrorists, but they don’t have a front, hide behind women and children (if not actually disguising themselves as women), and don’t congregate in one place in the open except during funerals, where there are also — surprise! — women and children.
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… most of whom (the women) voted the terrorists into power, and are encouraging their children to be “freedom-fighters”.
Not that I endorse violence against “innocents” – oh, no, certainly not (rolls eyes piously heavenward). There are things we Jews will NEVER do to defend ourselves, because… well, because we’re suckers.
Let’s try it this way:
The “terrorists” are basically now The Palestinian Republic’s Army – if the Oslo years didn’t make that clear, the recent PA election makes it unmistakable.
Once this is recognized, there need no longer be any handwringing (or is it saber-rattling?) about how “we’d take ’em out, but they don’t have a front”.
The average civilian in WWII Dresden or Tokyo was far less odious than the typical Pali – yet the war was brought down on their heads, leveled their homes – and turned them out of their homes when necessary.
It’s the Palis who turned this into an “us or them” situation, remember?
So when does “all-out war” mean that the Jews can choose Us, and finally beat Them – decisively, stamping out every last smoldering coal of hope that Israel can be dismantled, ending the charade of Palestinian national aspirations – the primary tool used to undermine Israel’s legitimacy?
Yes, that means completion of the “transfer of populations” begun with the massive expulsion of Levantine Jews in 1948.
Because until that happens, this will never be finished.
If that’s not what you mean, Meryl – please come up with a more accurate term than “all-out war”.
The current round of Israeli “targeted hits” are nothing to be proud of. Like the civilian trial of Moussaoui, they make the mistake of confusing war with police procedure – which in itself legitimizes terror. And they are aimless, a non-strategy born of a blinkered notion that this war can never be won.
Yet it must be won – and decisively, too – if Israel is to survive.