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Analysis: Olmert Visits US Amid PA Chaos

Council on Foreign Relations

Updated: May 22, 2006
Prepared by: Esther Pan

Ehud Olmert's May 23 meeting with George W. Bush at the White House marks an important step in his affirmation as Ariel Sharon's successor (Haaretz). But the trip is unlikely to yield concrete results; the Bush administration is treating the visit more as a chance to get to know Olmert than a forum to settle major questions about the Middle East (JPost). Israeli commentators say Olmert will have a tough job convincing the White House that his plan to unilaterally withdraw from Israeli settlements in the West Bank is "a lifelife for Zionism" (Haaretz). Bush will expect Olmert to defend his plans and his refusal to negotiate with the Palestinians (JPost).

Olmert's "convergence plan" for unilateral withdrawal is widely seen as an attempt to set Israel's future borders. But in an interview with the New York Times, Olmert says he will consult the Palestinians before making moves that could affect the borders. David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy says in this report that, if implemented wisely, Olmert's proposed unilateral withdrawal could actually advance prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Vice Premier Shimon Peres met Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in Egypt (al-Jazeera), the highest-level contact between Israel and the PA since Hamas was elected to lead the government in January. The meeting, at which Livni and Abbas agreed to establish a negotiating channel that excludes Hamas, came as chaos continues to spread in the Palestinian Authority. The territory is gripped by tension between armed factions of Hamas and Fatah.

Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.

Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.