Home > PM, Bush to discuss convergence in May
Nuclear Wars and conflicts International Governments USA
By Aluf Benn
Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet in Washington with U.S. President George Bush on May 23. The two will focus on Olmert’s convergence plan, the Hamas-led government in the Palestinian Authority, and the Iranian nuclear threat.
Olmert’s first trip abroad as prime minister will be devoted entirely to meetings with U.S. administration and Congressional leaders in Washington, and he will not travel to other destinations.
Advisers Dov Weissglas and Shalom Turjeman will travel to London today to meet with U.S. officials David Welch and Elliot Abrams in preparation for the upcoming talks.
Olmert is expected to ask Bush to support the convergence plan, and will attempt to ascertain the extent of space that Washington will afford him. The administration has received a general outline of the convergence plan, but has yet to discuss it. According to a statement by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a few weeks ago, the United States does not outrightly reject Olmert’s unilateral plan.
Israeli officials have interpreted Rice’s statement as support in principle for the plan, subject to clarifications and details. The administration is committed to supporting an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, but will not oppose any move designed to reduce Israeli military and civilian presence in the West Bank.
Meanwhile, officials in Washington have yet to decide whether they will demand that Olmert meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to try to conduct a dialogue with him prior to resorting to a unilateral move. Thus far, Olmert has refused to meet with Abbas, and has rejected an offer by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to host an Israeli-Palestinian summit.
Political sources in Jerusalem said that while the U.S. administration has publicly declared Abbas the Palestinians’ recognized leader, it is not maintaining contact with him in practice, nor does it expect Israel to conduct political talks with him.
"Peace cannot be achieved only through giving back territory; and without giving back territory, there can be no peace," Olmert told participants of the international Bible quiz yesterday.