Olmert Competes with the Arabs

Maher Othman. Al-Hayat. 27/07/07. Olmert, as a student of his predecessor Ariel Sharon, understands that there is no need to embarrass any party that pushes for a peaceful settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict - particularly if this party happens to be the United States. He understands that Israel can accept any reasonable peace settlement in principle, and then proceed to render it meaningless by adding conditions and amendments. This was the tactic used by Sharon when he built his wall under the pretext of preventing the entry of suicide bombers to Israel, only to follow it up with a massive program of colonial expansion in the West Bank. Olmert learned to make all the right noises following U.S. overtures for a peace deal and then proceed to dismantle and sabotage these overtures before they could lead to a genuine settlement. This is precisely what Sharon did when he ostensibly embraced the American Road Map for peace and then set about clipping its wings and rendering it meaningless - eventually using it to advance Israeli interests. Meanwhile, instead of lobbying the United States and meeting the pressure of pro-Israeli groups with pressure of their own, the Arab governments continue to chase shadows.

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