JERUSALEM – Knesset members across the political spectrum slammed commitments made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at today's U.S.-sponsored Annapolis summit.
"The things that were said at the conference are worrying and prove that the State of Israel is facing a liquidation sale," said Zevulun Orlev, chairman of the National Union party.
Orlev called on members of Olmert's governing coalition to bolt the government. Olmert's Kadima party is held together by alliances with the leftist Labor, religious Shas and Russian Yisroel Beitenu parties.
At Annapolis today Olmert committed to negotiations aimed at creating a Palestinian state on the ground before President Bush leaves office in January 2009. He alluded to evacuating most of the strategic West Bank, which borders Jerusalem and is within rocket range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. Israel liberated the West Bank in the 1967 Six Day War.
"The negotiations will address all of the issues which we have thus far avoided dealing with," said Olmert. "I am convinced that the reality that emerged in our region in 1967 will change significantly. I know this. Many of my people know this. We are prepared for it."
Hamas officials, including the terror group's chief in Gaza, repeatedly warned they would take over the West Bank if Israel hands the territory to Abbas.
Eli Yishai, head of Shas, Olmert's coalition partner, downplayed the significance of Annapolis.
He said Olmert expressed "dreams" out of touch with reality since Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is incapable of establishing law and order.
"Until now the Palestinian leadership has failed to implement the first phase of the Road Map – the dismantling of terror organizations. I support peace with a real partner, but now we are dealing with a virtual one," said Yishai.
Knesset Member Benny Elon suggested Annapolis was irrelevant, stating "peace is not made at cocktail parties."
He called Annapolis a "film detached from reality, whose ending we have already seen."
Danny Dayan, spokesman for the Yesha Council, a coalition of West Bank Jewish communities, also blasted Annapolis, calling it a "transparent" attempt to bring negotiations to secure Bush a Nobel Peace Prize.
Multiple recent polls here have shown the majority of Israelis are opposed to handing the West Bank to Abbas.
A survey sponsored last week by the Israel Policy Center for Promoting Parliamentary Democracy and Jewish Values in Israeli Public Life found 61 percent of the general Israeli public opposes a withdrawal from most of the West Bank and handing the strategic territory to the Palestinians.
Seventy-seven percent of Israelis polled said they believe Abbas lacked the power to prevent attacks from the West Bank.
If Israel indeed evacuated the West Bank, some 55 percent of Israelis believe Palestinians will use the territory to fire rockets into Jewish population centers, and 65 percent believe there is a high or very high chance Hamas would take control of the area, according to the new poll.
Some 55 percent of Israelis believe the Knesset should remove Olmert from office due to multiple criminal investigations against him charging various degrees of financial and political corruption.
Also, 53 percent of Israelis said they believe the main reason Olmert was seeking an accord with the Palestinians was because of concern for his political future and not Israel's national interests.
To interview Aaron Klein, contact Tim Bueler Public Relations by e-mail, or call (530) 401-3285.
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