Israeli leader hints at more withdrawals
In his first major speech since succeeding Ariel Sharon, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel was obliged to make further withdrawals from the West Bank, no matter what the outcome of yesterday's poll.
Mr Olmert did not stray far from Mr Sharon's position on the Palestinians, but there were significant shifts in nuance.
He called on the Palestinians not to miss the opportunity to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and 'not again choose the extremists who have led them from tragedy to tragedy and to sorrowful lives'.
'The actualisation of this opportunity involves relinquishing some of their national dreams, just as we have relinquished some of ours,' he said.
But in a departure from Mr Sharon's line, Mr Olmert hinted Israel would make withdrawals from the West Bank.
'It would be an historical mistake to let the Palestinians escape their commitment to dismantle the terror groups,' he said.
However, instead of stopping there, as Mr Sharon would have, he said if the Palestinians did not honour their commitments, 'we will ensure the security and interests of the Israeli people by all methods', a clear reference to a unilateral withdrawal.
