Olmert: Israeli election marks new chapter

I posted earlier about watching Olmert's victory speech live on BBC America. Here are my comments:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x120208#120222

I was as exhilarated as I was when I watched Tony Blair's early morning speech after he defeated John Major. I hope Olmert doesn't go the way of Blair!

Olmert: Israeli election marks new chapter

Apparent winner, acting PM pledges to ‘set final borders’ of Israel

JERUSALEM - Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel will seek negotiations with the Palestinians but act on its own if necessary to draw final borders in a victory speech after exit polls showed his centrist Kadima party headed for a win in Israeli elections Tuesday.

The projections had Kadima capturing fewer parliament seats than expected but enough to form a ruling coalition that would support Olmert’s plan to withdraw from much of the West Bank and set Israel’s borders by 2010.

In the speech, Olmert said he was ready for new peace talks and was prepared to make painful compromises such as uprooting some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and allowing Palestinians to have a state.

“In the coming period, we will move to set the final borders of the state of Israel, a Jewish state with a Jewish majority,” Olmert said. “We will try to achieve this in an agreement with the Palestinians.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12034819/

Last update - 04:13 29/03/2006

Olmert, declaring victory, appeals to Abbas for peace talks

By Haaretz Service

Declaring an election victory, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appealed to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas early Wednesday to enter into negotiations over the permanent borders of Israel, but added that Israel would act alone if peace efforts remained stalled.

<snip>

"We are ready to compromise, to give up parts of the beloved Land of Israel," Olmert said after in remarks addressed to Abbas, "and evacuate, under great pain, Jews living there, in order to create the conditions that will enable you to fulfil your dream and live alongside us."

"If the Palestinians are wise enough to act, then in the near future we will sit together at the negotiating table to create a new reality. If they do not, Israel will take its destiny in hand," Olmert said in a speech to Kadima leaders. "The time has come to act."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/699377.html

forming all over the world except HERE in AMERICA!

I'm grateful for what it is. I took the Isreali election as this...some movement away from Likud and for some form of compromise because they see that war isn't the answer. But...I may be too optimistic. Maybe the election was done on DRE Machines and "BeBe" was the one who really was elected.

I don't know anymore...and too tired of it to think more. :crazy: but it did seem a "hopeful" (couching words) election....Maybe even if was a "tip of the hat" to Sharon in his last days...doing what they thought he wanted...

movement of resistance to policies of oppression by Israeli citizens, Palestinians, and internationals.

It will be people movements that will make real change, not these foolish politicians.

Look at what he said: ""We are ready to compromise, to give up parts of the beloved Land of Israel,"

So where does this attitude vary from that of Hamas who claim Israel is Palestine? They've become prepared to give up parts of Palestine (ie Israel) so I don't know why this attitude should be praised just because it comes from the Israelis. Also, removing some outlying settlements and promising to keep the large ones and in doing so making a viable Palestinian state impossible is something I'd find really hard to praise...

Violet...

Nothing is final, and certainly not political boundaries established by force.