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A Conversation with Interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

Lally Weymouth (Washington Post) - Q: How much time will you give the new Palestinian government? Olmert: I'm not expressing any ultimatum. If we reach the conclusion that the Palestinians are not prepared to meet the requirements that lead to negotiations, we will then move forward without a negotiating process. We are not prepared to wait forever. Q: What do you mean by "convergence"? Olmert: The idea is that most of the settlements that would have to be removed from where they are now will be converged into the blocs of settlements that will remain under Israeli control....The rest of the territories will not have any Israeli presence and will allow territorial contiguity for a future Palestinian state. Q: Will the army stay behind? Olmert: I will keep all military options to be able to combat terrorism effectively everywhere. Q: Would you want some kind of U.S. recognition of the borders you set? Olmert: I will seek such recognition, yes. But it's important to understand that if we reach the conclusion that the Palestinians - led by a Hamas government, which is a terrorist organization - are not prepared to meet the preliminary requirements of the roadmap, then we don't have to wait forever. We don't need to waste our energies and our resources. We can move forward to create a new reality on the ground congruent with the understanding that there should be two states existing alongside each other and that the Palestinians must have a contiguous territory where they can hopefully establish a credible state.
2006-04-10 00:00:00
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