[Peace-discuss] Obama as Reagan, Nixon

[C. G. Estabrook]

[I wonder if Obama's supposed gaffe about "undivided Jerusalem" in his AIPAC
speech was in fact designed to have this effect -- i.e., to signal Olmert & Co. 
that they could get a better deal from him than the one the Bush administration
Realists were pressing for before the end of their term.  The US presidential
system makes the move obvious when it looks like the executive is going to
change party: Nixon did it re S. Vietnam in 1968, Reagan re Iran in 1980. --CGE]

  Olmert not confident of peace deal this year

  Story Highlights
  Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert doubtful of peace accord deal, official says
  Olmert does not think deal will come before year's end, committee told
  Sticking point remains Jerusalem's status under any agreement

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert does not believe a peace
accord with the Palestinians can be reached by the end of the year, according to
a senior Israeli official.

Speaking to parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Olmert said
Monday that Jerusalem's status was the main hurdle in the way of reaching such
an agreement, according to the official, who attended the committee meeting.

Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed a joint
statement in November at a U.S. summit for Middle East peace, pledging to work
toward securing a peace agreement by the end of this year. The Bush
administration has repeatedly said it believes a peace deal can be achieved by
the end of President Bush's final term in office.

Palestinians hope East Jerusalem will one day become the capital of a
Palestinian state. Israel regards the land as part of its undivided capital.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators were closer to reaching an agreement on
other final status or "core" issues, such as refugees and borders, Olmert said,
according to the official.

The Palestinian territories are divided, with Abbas' Fatah movement holding
power in the West Bank, and Hamas -- which the U.S. and Israel consider a
terrorist group -- ruling Gaza.

Olmert told the committee on Monday that Israel was still committed to working
toward such a deal, but it was not likely to happen in the next five months, the
official said.

Talks between the two sides aim to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by
establishing an independent Palestinian state that peacefully co-exists with Israel.




Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/07/28/israel.olmert/index.html