Green Energy
Olmert: US agreed to absorb 100,000 Palestinian refugees
At Geneva Initiative conference, former PM says during his tenure Washington agreed to accept Palestinian refugees in framework of permanent Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Palestinian source: We wanted Israel to absorb hundreds of thousands.
Ehud Olmert said that during his tenure as prime minister he had reached an agreement with the Americans for them to absorb 100,000 Palestinian refugees as part of a peace deal, adding that he struck a deal with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas according to which Israel would absorb "a minimal amount" of refugees.
"The numbers discussed were below 20,000, but this would require and end to the conflict and a Palestinian announcement that they would not make any more demands," Olmert told a Geneva Initiative conference Sunday evening.
"If we had reached an agreement, it would have changed the map of the world and the entire Middle East. We are not to blame. If there is no agreement, it's because the Palestinian side was not prepared to take the extra step that we made," Olmert said.
"I suggested that the refugee issue be resolved in the framework of the Arab peace initiative. I'm glad the current government is talking about the Road Map, which states that one of the cornerstone of peace is the Arab initiative" the former prime minister said.
Olmert claimed the Obama administration is not hostile towards Israel, saying, "There is no difference between (former US President George W.) Bush's positions and (Barack) Obama's positions.
"Obama would have been very pleased if the proposals presented by the current (Israeli) government would have been the same as those presented by us (Olmert's government)," he said.
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Green Energy
Olmert: US agreed to absorb 100,000 Palestinian refugees
At Geneva Initiative conference, former PM says during his tenure Washington agreed to accept Palestinian refugees in framework of permanent Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Palestinian source: We wanted Israel to absorb hundreds of thousands.
Ehud Olmert said that during his tenure as prime minister he had reached an agreement with the Americans for them to absorb 100,000 Palestinian refugees as part of a peace deal, adding that he struck a deal with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas according to which Israel would absorb "a minimal amount" of refugees.
"The numbers discussed were below 20,000, but this would require and end to the conflict and a Palestinian announcement that they would not make any more demands," Olmert told a Geneva Initiative conference Sunday evening.
"If we had reached an agreement, it would have changed the map of the world and the entire Middle East. We are not to blame. If there is no agreement, it's because the Palestinian side was not prepared to take the extra step that we made," Olmert said.
"I suggested that the refugee issue be resolved in the framework of the Arab peace initiative. I'm glad the current government is talking about the Road Map, which states that one of the cornerstone of peace is the Arab initiative" the former prime minister said.
Olmert claimed the Obama administration is not hostile towards Israel, saying, "There is no difference between (former US President George W.) Bush's positions and (Barack) Obama's positions.
"Obama would have been very pleased if the proposals presented by the current (Israeli) government would have been the same as those presented by us (Olmert's government)," he said.
-
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- Israel's Peace Plan Marks A New Era In The Country's History And The Israeli-palestinian Conflict
From Barry Rubin: Israel has entered a new era of thinking and policy in which old categories of left or right, hawk or dove are irrelevant under a national unity government bringing together the two main ruling parties. How did this new paradigm arise?...
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Haaretz reported Tuesday morning that in a desperate attempt to carve out a legacy destroy his own country, Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert has presented a formal offer to the 'Palestinians' that would give them 93% of the land mass of the 'West...
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The Hamas-led Palestinian government called for a cease-fire in its violent two-week standoff with Israel but stopped short Saturday of offering to release an Israeli soldier held by Hamas militants. Israeli Prime Minister...