Posted by Bible Probe on September 04, 2006 at 17:18:28:
Senior Israel officials are scheduled to leave for the United States late Monday evening to notify the US government that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's realignment plan for unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank is off the table.
Olmert's chief of staff Yoram Turbovich and diplomatic advisor Shalom Turgeman expect to meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and national security advisor Steve Hadley, and intend to plan Olmert's next visit to the US.
Aug. 20 Analysis: Olmert realigns master plan
Olmert reportedly told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that the realignment plan agenda "is no longer relevant."
Speaking after the meeting, committee member Ran Cohen (Meretz) said that the word realignment was dead and that he understood from Olmert that the idea had been put to bed.
Realignment was the central platform of Olmert's policy regarding the Palestinians, but the idea of unilateral withdrawal from captured territory has been deeply undermined by the recent war with Hizbullah in southern Lebanon - a conflict that erupted six years after Israel withdrew unilaterally from the security zone it had maintained there.
Yesha spokesperson Emily Amrusi was not overly thrilled by Olmert's reported remarks. She said that the prime minister had made the statement out of political motives since what concerned him was keeping his coalition together and not aggravating the opposition.
"Olmert is still a shortsighted leader who is devoid of logic. He has not changed overnight, he is even talking of negotiating with Lebanon," exclaimed Amrusi.
Amrusi said that in her opinion, the realignment plan would only be postponed for a short time.
Read entire Article at Jerusalem Post: HERE
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