Posted by
Cary Wesberry on Sunday, May 11, 2008 6:53:42 PM
DEBKAfile’s Middle East sources report that the police investigations hanging over prime minister Olmert’s head are beginning to undermine his government’s ability to engage in Middle East diplomacy. Most political circles have begun the countdown to his political demise in the short term.
Sunday night, Cairo had not finally confirmed that Egyptian intelligence minister Gen. Omar Suleiman would keep his Monday, May 12, date in Jerusalem to hand over the truce offer from the Palestinian fundamentalist Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Damascus has turned its back on the feelers for peace talks relayed to Israel by Turkish mediators.
Olmert is tied up in long conferences with his lawyers on his legal strategy in the grave allegations against him of accepting large sums of money from an American financier. He has not been able to prepare a definitive answer for the Egyptian minister’s proposal on Gaza.
Our sources report that Israeli officials are expected to hear him out and put off their reply for a later date - even though Hamas has made it clear that without an agreed truce, its attacks will be intensified.
Any ceasefire is opposed by sections of the Israeli military who argue that it will give Hamas the chance to regroup and acquire more powerful arms for its next round of violence. In his present state, the prime minister’s strength to assert his authority in this or any other Middle East diplomatic issue is gravely diminished.
Israeli military leaders are of course correct in their understanding of Hamas behavior. Cease-fires with terrorists only serve to make them stronger, without fail. As far as the Olmert investigation eroding his power to negotiate with Palestinian monsters goes: sounds like a winner to me. Anything at all which either slows down or completely stops Olmert's ability to continue he and Rice's systemitac dismantling of Israel's national security is great news for the Jews. It is apparent that Ehud Olmert's days as Prime Minister are quickly coming to a close, and it couldn't have happened to a better candidate for removal.
Not only will Olmert's removal stop his insane negotiating strategy dead in its tracks, it will also severely weaken Kadima and anyone else in government who is loyal to him. Ehud Olmert will not be the only one thrown out of the government in the quickly upcoming general elections, or sooner.