Israeli leader: 'I speak for my nation'
But survey shows most want Olmert impeached, oppose evacuating territory--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: November 29, 2007
11:10 a.m. Eastern
By Aaron Klein
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Israelis support this week's U.S.-sponsored Annapolis summit, said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who told reporters yesterday he speaks on behalf of his "entire" country.But a poll conducted before Olmert departed Israel last week showed the majority of Israelis want Olmert removed from office, oppose handing strategic territory to the Palestinians, and fear the prime minister was seeking an accord with the Palestinians at Annapolis because he is concerned with his political future and not about Israel's national interests.
"I speak for the entire country, who are with me," said Olmert in comments to reporters yesterday.
"I was immensely proud to represent the state of Israel at this juncture. As I sat down to write the speech that I would give, I wondered whether I should speak in Hebrew or in English. I ultimately settled on speaking in Hebrew, because I felt that I was representing a nation with a grand history and cultural tradition, and as such I should speak in the Hebrew language,” he said.
At the start of Tuesday's summit, President Bush read a joint declaration agreed to by Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas committing the two to launch immediate negotiations aimed at "two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side."
The parties said they would aim to conclude an agreement before Bush leaves office next year, with Israel widely expected to evacuate large swaths of the West Bank, handing Abbas the strategic territories. Israel recaptured the West Bank in 1967.
In a speech following Bush's statement, Olmert alluded to evacuating the West Bank, which borders Jerusalem and is within rocket range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport.
"The negotiations will address all of the issues which we have thus far avoided dealing with," said Olmert on Tuesday. "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."
But a survey of the general Israeli population taken a week before Olmert departed to Annapolis 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.
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. Hamas leaders in recent days warned their terror group would take over the West Bank if Israel withdrew.
Some 77 percent of Israelis said Abbas lacked the power to prevent attacks from the West Bank.
The new survey was sponsored by the Israel Policy Center for Promoting Parliamentary Democracy and Jewish Values in Israeli Public Life.
The same poll showed the majority of Israelis – some 55 percent – believe the Knesset should remove Olmert from office due to criminal investigations against him charging various degrees of financial and political corruption.
As well, 53 percent of Israelis said they believe the main reason Olmert was seeking an accord with the Palestinians was because he is concerned with his political future and not about Israel's national interests.