PM: Bush Will Go Down In Israeli History

[Purveyor]

Published: 11.04.08, 17:50 / Israel News

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert praised US President George W. Bush on Tuesday, just hours before his country finishes electing his replacement. "His name will be engraved in golden letters on the heart of the State of Israel," Olmert told Ynet.

"It is unreasonable to speak of what we have received from the Bush administration," he continued. "There are many things we cannot discuss – the $30 billion we received over 10 years are only the very tip of the iceberg of the things Bush has given us."

During the interview, the prime minister discussed publicly the US attack in Syria for the first time. "We, like the Americans, would not hesitate to operate anywhere where there is a fear the country's civilians would be harmed. We have also done this in different places," he said.

Olmert added that the helicopter attack, which took place near the border with Iraq, would not affect the US-endorsed peace talks with Syria. "The Americans are informed of all of our actions," he said. "The US is Israel's greatest friend and it is always updated."

Regarding the effect a new administration would have on the future of negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians Olmert said, "We will doubtless be able to rely on any one of the candidates regarding this issue."

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YNET: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3617689,00.html

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. he's full of it.

BushCheney have done more damage to their international standing and future security than anyone else.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. I'm Jewish but in response to MASS Israeli lobby efforts, Republicans have impoverished us....

... to benefit Israel by attacking the Middle East under the GUISE of 9/11.

What needs to happen is lobbying laws need to be put into effect so this cannot happen again.

[aquart]

6. "I'm Jewish but...."

Only a complete idiot would believe the attack on Iraq had anything to do with the Jews. Yeah, honey, Hitler's banker's grandson is really going to go all out for the Jews. Who have no oil. Meanwhile he's kissing and holding hands with the Saudis but they aren't the people he's considering, oh no, it's all the Jews who have no oil.

There's one born every minute, isn't there?

[azurnoir]

7. She did not mention Iraq n/t

[Sarah Ibarruri]

10. SURELY you jest nt

[LeftishBrit]

8. What do you mean 'again'?

America has not attacked the Middle East to benefit Israel. The Iraq war has not benefitted Israel.

As regards Iran, there is no war yet, and hopefully will not be. And it seems to me that there is more evidence of America pressing Israel to attack Iran, than the other way about.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

11. No, not exactly. But it was done in response to the strong Israel lobby...

Lobbyists aren't in Washington because they like living there. They're there to BRIBE politicians.

[LeftishBrit]

13. I don't doubt that most lobbying is legalized bribery

I just doubt that AIPAC - which I assume is the lobby you mean - wanted the war in Iraq. The oil lobbies may be another matter!

[zonmoy]

18. Wouldnt aipac support wars that took out leaders that opposed their abuses in palestine

and that eliminated all potential threats to israeli power in the region.

[LeftishBrit]

20. By the same token...

would AIPAC support a war that increased violence and terrorism in the region, took out a relatively secular leader and greatly increased the role of Islamism in Iraq, and increased the relative power of Iran?

I daresay in practice some members of AIPAC were for the Iraq war, and some against it; there was no unified policy on this subject to my knowledge.

And AIPAC are American not Israeli, so they have not personally committed any abuses in Palestine!

I am no fan of AIPAC in its present form, as it seems far too connected with the right-wing in both America and Israel; but it did not cause the war in Iraq.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Olmert is mouthing the words he needs to say

For the rest, it reminds me of the story of the schoolteacher who told a parent (probably George HW Bush!), "Your son will go down in history ... and in geography, and in mathematics, and in English, and..."

[aquart]

4. Uh, no.

His utter neglect of the MidEast led to bombings, murders, a horrific escalation of tensions. It may take centuries to undo the mess.

[LeftishBrit]

5. I agree - though 'neglect' is too mild a word.

[bemildred]

9. Let's just say "Bush will go down."

Not unlike Olmert.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

12. Pretty pathetic. nt

[rateyes]

14. Olmert is as crooked as Bush.

[Kurska]

15. For what?

Bush has achieved nothing, this entire administration has been a utter failure in regard to middle east peace. Americans are not going to be able to negotiate a acceptable peace, what we need right now is a pan arab-Israeli conference where all arabic parties are represented and see if that makes any progress.

Basically, we need the saudi plan with no preconditions on meetings.

[oberliner]

16. Is he more popular than Clinton?

I doubt it.

I'll tell you who will get their name engraved in gold in Israel - Barack Obama.

He will hopefully, finally, be the one who helps negotiate a peace agreement that leads to an independent Palestinian state living side by side at peace with Israel.

[Scurrilous]

17. Olmert to bid Bush farewell

Prime minister heading for Washington next week for one last business meeting with US president, to be followed by intimate goodbye dinner. Outgoing leaders to discuss Israel-US relationship, Mideast peace process, Iranian nuclear threat

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3626455,00.html

<snip>

"United States President George Bush is preparing a friendly intimate farewell meeting for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the latter's last visit to Washington at the start of next week.

Bush and Olmert will hold a work meeting at the White House on Monday and afterwards will be joined by their wives, Laura and Aliza, for a special dinner.

Washington greatly appreciates Olmert's visit to the US to bid farewell to Bush and thank him for his special treatment towards Israel and his being a true friend.

Olmert's admiration of the US president is more than welcome in Washington, especially in light of Bush's low popularity, and the fact that his last weeks in office have been getting very little media coverage.

"The president is expected to discuss with Prime Minister Olmert the bilateral relationship between the US and Israel, the continued joint efforts to bring peace to the Middle East and a wide variety of regional and international topics," a White House statement said.

During Olmert's three-day visit to the US, he is also scheduled to meet with Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice."

[IndianaGreen]

19. Bush will also go down in American history, but not the way Olmert sees him

Your best friend is the one that takes the car keys away from you when you are intoxicated, not the one that keeps buying you drinks.

[Scurrilous]

22. Bush, Olmert leaving with no Mideast peace deal

<snip>

"President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's lofty Mideast peace goals are going out with a whimper.

Wrapping up three years of close cooperation, the two leaders met for probably the final time Monday and pledged to leave behind a productive peace process for their successors when they leave office. In brief comments to reporters before their hourlong talk in the Oval Office, both gave off an air of nostalgia, thanking each other profusely for their friendship and dedication to peace.

"We've been through a lot together during our time in office," Bush said. "We strongly believe that Israel will benefit by having a Palestinian state, a democracy on her border that works for peace."

Turning to Olmert, he said: "I want to thank you for the friendship, and thank you for your vision. And I just want you to know that I believe that vision is alive."

Olmert said, "A two-state solution is the only possible way to resolve the conflict in the Middle East."

A year ago, to great fanfare, Bush announced the resumption of peace talks, after a seven-year hiatus, at a Mideast summit hosted in Annapolis, Md. Summit participants set an ambitious target of concluding a final peace deal by the end of 2008.

Despite frequent negotiating sessions, Olmert and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, have little to show for their efforts and seem no closer to a peace agreement than they were before the summit."

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[Vegasaurus]

23. Of course they are no closer to a peace agreement

The Palestinians have made their demands intractable, and the Israelis are never compromising on full right of return.

On that point alone, the possibility of the Palestinians having their own state is quite remote.

It will take major compromise in order for there to ever be two states.

At the moment, the Palestinians are unwilling, and the Israelis have no incentive to open themselves up to massive additional terrorism, without a willing partner.

[oberliner]

24. Good luck to President Obama!

Let's hope that he will be the one who will truly go down in history as the President who finally helped bring peace to the region!