Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the fundamental issues that divide Israel and the Palestinians. The talks are to pave the way for a peace conference later this year, where the two leaders hope to negotiate the creation of a Palestinian state.
The Israelis and the Palestinians have been engaged in a long, complicated conflict over land in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in Southwest Asia. Each group feels the land is rightfully theirs.
The two leaders met for three hours on August 6. If the two can come to an agreement on the basic principles of a plan to share the land, they hope to then be able to work out the potentially explosive details at a U.S.-sponsored conference scheduled for November.
Related Links
- Olmert hopes talks can lead to Palestinian state
Report on the talks between Olmert and Abbas. Provides the hopes for the talks, as well as the possible pitfalls. (Source: Reuters, August 6, 2007) - W Bank talks for Abbas and Olmert
Report on the talks. Includes quote from former Hamas leader, who is skeptical about the possibility of the talks leading anywhere. (Source: BBC, August 6, 2007)
I live in the Netherlands (and ain’t saying that we have the ideal gov’t, but that’s not the point here, moorveer, we’re not a republic): about the US: frankly, I have never understood why the whole US presidential election thing can’t be but an enormous media/$$ controlled process. Why can’t the parties just pick and nominate several possibly “un-slick” but (proven to be) skilled candidates in the first place. And not 18 mo, but say 6 mo before end of term, so that less paper and air time is wasted on stupid, blown out of proportion issues, and vice versa hatred;about Israel: this is even more mind boggling – this borders on “The Emperor’s new clothes”‘ tale: so many Israeli’s agree Olmert + gov’t is leading nowhere, yet it is not toppled. They way Olmert tosses about the future of Judea/Samaria (in midst of Lebanon operation!), and the all but exposed mishandling of the Lebanon and the Hamas and Fatah dangers, the unimaginable neglect.Note to self: you forgot! Politics will always be a game, and dirty at that, and (wo)men of integrity and wisdom are very, very rare.
Hundreds of thouands of pelpoe have protested, but unfortunately, Olmert is far too corrupt to allow decency to stand in the way of his receiving a huge pay cheque for selling out the Jewish pelpoe.As for America, they put their oil interests and that of their best friends the Saudis, first and foremost. And Saudi wants a Jew free middle east, so that’s what America will ensure they get.We in the UK have protested, but it’s all fallen on deaf ears.America has their anti-Israel policies, which is why they’ve been funding and arming terror groups, including PLO, Hizbollah, Hamas, Al Qaeda, etc., for years. At least since Bush senior, who financed Bin Laden to deal with the Russian problem in Afghanistan. It was getting in the way of the oil pipeline.See all the information on the Carlyle Group and the Bush/Baker/Rice direct involvement with the company.So, the US has decided now to sacrifice Israel on the altar of the oil sheikhs and they won’t even sleep badly over it.