Olmert’s Realignment

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem reports that Olmert is still dedicated to what he is now calling "realignment." Sharon used "Disengagement" to signify a unilateral policy of withdrawing from the West Bank and Gaza and to cut the cords of Israeli financial support to a people who hate the existence of Israel.

Olmert inherited the Prime Minister position and began calling Sharon's "Disengagement" a "Convergence" plan. I am still not entirely certain the image that was to portray. Possibly the thought of Jews converging on a homeland to the exclusion hateful Palestinians.

Now I read that Olmert is committed to "Realignment." Again I am left to guessing the meaning. I am convinced "Realignment" means Sharon's dream of unilaterally withdrawing connective support toward the PA. The Palestinian lives in a realm of hate, so why support and prop a sovereign nation of Jew haters.

The problem I have with all this is the relinquishing of land to provide a land for the sovereignty of Jew haters - Palestinian-Arab Mohammedans. It makes more sense to me to expel these Arabs into neighboring Arab lands and force those Jew hating nations to deal with the plight they created in the first place.

Guy Benyovits offers a Ynetnews.com opinion:

The disengagement, my friends, was a glorious tactical success – and a glowing strategic failure. This, by the way, is exactly what generations of Israeli prime ministers thought about Ariel Sharon – great at tactical planning, terrible at long-range strategy.

Olmert is incapable of thinking beyond the strategy set down by his former mentor. Disengagement-Convergence-Realignment is a good tactical plan for Israeli security. Israel needs a strong leader to rework the strategy that does not give up land and yet still disengages from a people that are consumed by hate. Olmert is not that man.

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Olmert Stands by 'Realignment'
Denies prisoner swap for Shalit
ICEJ News
10 Jul 2006

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert informed the foreign press Monday that despite recent events he had not given up his vision of withdrawing civilians and IDF troops from Judea and Samaria. "Violence is a threat to any peace process," Olmert said, in his first public comment on 'realignment' since the eruption of the Gilad Shalit kidnapping crisis two weeks ago. "I haven't changed my basic commitment to the realignment plan," the prime minister said, adding that he was "absolutely determined to ultimately separate from the Palestinians."

"If terrorist organizations force a violence confrontation, I am afraid both Israelis and Palestinians will bear the consequences," Olmert said. "But they can't stop the inevitable historic process. It is the only solution, the only way that Palestinians can realize their dream of a Palestinian state."

The prime minister went on to reiterate that Israel would not release any Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit and ruled out any negotiations with the Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled Meshal.

Olmert went on to question the EU's criticism of Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip, saying the EU should focus instead on Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel. "When was the last time that the European Union condemned this shooting and suggested effective measures to stop it?" the PM asked.