Israeli Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in an interview
broadcast on Sunday that if elected, his government would hold
talks with the United States and the international community before
any future pullouts from the West Bank.
Speaking to Israel Radio, Olmert said that he would conduct
"internal talks" within Israel, followed by talks with Washington
and the international community to cement support for fixing
borders with the Palestinians by more withdrawals.
"We want to set the permanent borders of Israel, and to do so,
we must separate from the Palestinians," he said. "In order to
separate from the Palestinians, we must define for ourselves our
red lines."
After the Israelis came to an agreement on the future borders,
Olmert said that he would hold negotiations with the United States
and the international community over the "borderlines such that all
of the international community will support, including the United
States."
"I have a foundation for believing that there is great openness
both in the United States and in other places, to listen to these
points and to discuss them in seriousness," he added.
Olmert made the statement just ahead of Israel's general
elections slated for Tuesday, in which his centrist Kadima party is
tipped to win.
The acting prime minister has announced that he intends to fix
the borders with the Palestinians by 2010 via unilaterally quitting
isolated settlements while strengthening big ones.
A long-time ally of ailing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Olmert
has been a staunch supporter of Israel's Gaza pullout last
summer.
Olmert has also vowed no dealings with the new Palestinian
government headed by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) unless
the group renounces violence, recognize Israel's right to exist and
accept interim peace deals.
(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2006)
