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September 29, 2008

Olmert: Israel Must Withdraw From 'Almost All' of Occupied Territories
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1E6D3EA:A6F02AD83191E160A38B6F126D2DEAD65C6F54A6CF9DC2CA&
 
Israeli PM says during his political career, he had been 'unwilling to
look at reality in all its depth' 
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
says Israel will have to withdraw from "almost all" of the West Bank and
East Jerusalem if it wants peace with the Palestinians, reversing the
stance he has taken for most of his 35-year political career. In a
farewell interview published Monday, he told the Israeli newspaper
Yediot Aharonot that for decades, he had been "unwilling to look at
reality in all its depth." Mr. Olmert also said Israel would have to
withdraw from the Golan Heights in order to have peace with Syria. It is
not clear what effect the prime minister's comments will have on Israeli
government policy, since he is likely to leave office soon. Mr. Olmert
announced his resignation on September 21, and is expected to leave
office if his Kadima party's new leader can form a new government. He
said without giving up the bulk of the occupied territories, "there will
be no peace." He said there would need to be "special arrangements" made
for East Jerusalem's holy sites, but did not elaborate. Palestinian
officials were skeptical about the comments, saying they want to see
them translated into concrete action. Lawmakers from Israel's rightwing
Likud party criticized Mr. Olmert's remarks. Meanwhile, Israeli police
said a Palestinian shepherd who died in the West Bank late last week was
killed by an accidental explosion and not by Jewish settlers. Neighbors
and relatives had accused Jewish settlers of shooting the 18-year-old
shepherd, but Israeli police say he was killed by shrapnel after he
picked up a grenade that blew up in his hands. Some information for this
report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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