Olmert govt takes charge, determined to set borders

Isreal's’s new government takes office today, bringing incoming PM Ehud Olmert a step closer to implementing his plan of withdrawing from parts of the West Bank and drawing Israel’s borders by 2010.

Isreal’s’s new government takes office today, bringing incoming PM Ehud Olmert a step closer to implementing his plan of withdrawing from parts of the West Bank and drawing Israel’s borders by 2010.

The plan, which would leave Israel with three main blocs of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, is to be carried out unilaterally if the Hamas-led Palestinian Cabinet refuses to recognise Israel, accept past peace agreements and renounce violence— conditions Israel has set for talking to the militant Islamic group.

In a policy speech to Parliament, Olmert said today that Israel needed to rid itself of isolated West Bank settlements but would maintain control over the larger blocs forever.

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He said he preferred to reach a deal with the Palestinians through negotiations based on the internationally backed ‘‘road map’’ peace plan. But if that failed, he said he would act unilaterally to create ‘‘desirable’’ borders that would be significantly different from the current ones.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate leader from the Fatah Party, appealed to Olmert in an interview published on Thursday to resume peace talks with him immediately. ‘‘You have a serious partner. We are a partner for negotiations,’’ Abbas told the Israeli daily Maariv. ‘‘I have a mandate to reach an agreement with Ehud Olmert…We have the capability…We must not miss the opportunity.’’

However, negotiations with the Palestinians appear unlikely to bear fruit as long as Hamas refuses to meet Israel’s conditions.

–RAMIT PLUSHNICK MASTI

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