Olmert, by far the best politician around, surprised many by leaking the news of splitting Jerusalem with Arabs. Partitioning the eternal Jewish capital is an extremely unpopular idea among Israeli right and left alike, and Olmert won't expect that his despised government can drug the partitioning through the Knesset. The heavyweight Sharon hardly pushed through with Gaza disengagement, and dividing Jerusalem is way harder. Whatever are the shortcoming of Israel Beitenu and the religious parties, they would likely quit the government before approving the partitioning of Jerusalem. The Knesset also voiced overwhelming opposition to the partition. Not the least, it's hard to imagine Olmert eager to enter Jewish history as the ruler who surrendered Jerusalem. Remember, Olmert stood against Begin and Sharon over the giveaway of the Sinai to Egypt during the Camp David capitulation,
Neither is Olmert stupid to imagine that the Palestinians would stop terrorism after receiving Jerusalem. He probably tested the waters to show the left that neither public opinion, nor the Knesset would approve of dividing the capital. Olmert insists on adherence to the clearly expired Road Map because he knows that the Palestinians would never get past the first stage of maintaining any sort of security. To prove his point, Olmert shows the most extreme goodwill toward the Palestinian Authority: he resumed some of the tax transfers, released a small number of the third-tier terrorist convicts, removed a few non-essential checkpoints, and armed the Fatah gang with the weapons they could get elsewhere. Israel pushes Hamas to the wall in the effort to reinstate Fatah's rule in Gaza – and ensure the subsequent civil war between Hamas and Fatah. The excellent raid on Syria's nuclear facilities proved Olmert a very capable leader. Netanyahu bragged about the attack on Syria; Olmert keeps silence. Olmert is the only high-ranking politician in the world who soberly evaluated the Iranian nuclear program: a matter of a thousand Tomahawk missiles.
Now that Olmert and Livni renounced any timetable of the peace deal with the Palestinians and announced that partitioning of Jerusalem is not on the Annapolis' agenda, the threat to Jerusalem receded. The intermediate idea of giving away Jerusalem's Arab neighborhood, supported by Israeli right down to Lieberman, is dangerous. Once the capital's suburbs are under Palestinian control, Arabs will keep shelling Jerusalem like Sderot. Israeli retaliation will surely be stronger, but hardly sufficient. Another problem is the growing Arab population of Jerusalem which threatens Jewish sovereignty regardless of the peace process. It makes little difference whether the East Jerusalem is under Palestinian control or not under Jewish control.
Israeli government dances the narrow line between the US, EU, Israeli ultra-left, and the Jewish conscience surely present even in the people like Olmert and Livni. The government's actions are not straightforward, but neither do they amount to clear-cut treason.
The best thing about this government is that it is too weak to publicly betray the Jews.
Obaiah,
The other day you were praising Arabs for trying to kill Obadiah, today, you seem to be praising Obadiah (unless calling someone "the best politician" is not really a praise…)
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I am fascinated by your inconsistency. Most people try to be consistent, you however (seemingly) contradict yourself without any worry.
Idiots can stick to their dogma and be very consistent. Intelligent people are bound to find new angles.
Ray, by that you mean Olmert, correct?
And I would agree.
Giving your aid is treason , so is freeing terrorists,
Who gives electricity to their enemy,
Aiding a enemy in time of war is treason by definition.
This madness will be forced to end in a very violent way at this rate.
I see no contradiction. Only different parts of a bigger picture exposed each time.
Melach surely you know that the loyalties of the Israeli governments are not to the Israeli people. In that way, they serve their masters well.
To us, though, they are traitors.
If Olmert was buying time for some bigger move, then all his stalling would mean something. I seriously doubt that he does, though.
That someone who was so right-winged when serving as the mayor of Jerusalem, would then partition it, is simply absurd.
I don't believe that the reference to Olmert as the "best politician around" meant that he was the sharpest tack in the box, rather it referred to his superior ability to play politics to the advantage of his career.
Of course he will not screw Israel "publically". He and the rest of the corrupt crownies will screw us along with the good old USA