A week after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert shelved his realignment plan, he told the cabinet Sunday that the Palestinian issue is not going to disappear, and "creative ways" must be found to "kick-start" the diplomatic process. His comments came as the Arab League was expected to put forward a diplomatic process of its own at the UN later this month and amid increasing calls for an international peace conference.
Olmert told the cabinet that international conferences have historically been stacked against Israel and that the only international conference Israel would be willing to take part in was one focused on fighting terrorism. Olmert said discussions were currently being held at various levels on how to empower the moderates in Palestinian society so that progress could be made on the road map. This, he pointed out, was the focus of his talks with visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Saturday night, and would also be at the center of talks Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will hold in Washington on Tuesday. |