Bush and Olmert
Last update - 03:05 20/06/2007 Olmert: Cabinet to okay release of PA tax revenue By Aluf Benn and Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz CorrespondentsPrime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday in Washington that the cabinet would on Sunday approve the release of tax revenues collected by Israel on the behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
Speaking after a series of meetings in the White House, including a two-hour session alone with President George W. Bush, Olmert added that the new Palestinian government should be given assistance and a chance to succeed.
"The new Palestinian government deserves a chance, and also assistance," he said.
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Olmert said that Israel would also agree to a "more far-reaching" removal of checkpoints in order to increase Palestinian freedom of movement inside the West Bank. Measures will also be taken to bolster the forces loyal to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, he added.
Referring to the Gaza Strip, Olmert said: "We will provide all that is necessary to meet humanitarian needs and we will not be indifferent. This suffering has been caused by Palestinians against their own people."
Regarding the plight of refugees waiting at the Erez crossing, Olmert said that anyone whom security checks prove is not a terrorist will be allowed to pass through.
Prior to their meeting, Bush and Olmert spoke to journalists at the White House. The president praised Olmert for being a strong leader committed to the security and prosperity of his country and to creating the conditions for peace.
He also pointed out that Israel and the United States share the vision of two states living side by side in peace and security. That vision, he said, is important to the moderates in both countries - "the ordinary Palestinians who need something to look forward to" and Israelis concerned that demographic pressure threatens their state's Jewish character.
Bush linked the Palestinian front in Gaza to other Middle Eastern fronts in which the U.S. is currently involved.
"It is interesting that extremists are assaulting democracies throughout the Middle East, whether this is in Iraq, Lebanon or the potentially democratic Palestine. We are in a monumental ideological confrontation," he said.
Following the Hamas takeover in Gaza, the speech that Bush was planning to make next week to commemorate the launching of his two-state vision has been canceled, and a planned visit to the region by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been postponed.
I thought George Bush was a supported of democracy in the Middle East?
So why is the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Israel supporting the losers of an election?
Their was a free and democratic election and Hamas won.
But again remember Hamas is Fatah and Fatah is Hamas it is only in the west that we want to play stupid games and say this terrorist good, while that terrorist is bad. They both want to murder 6,000,000 Jews and bring an end to Israel.
Since Arafat every time things got rough for the leadership of the PA they played the Hamas terrorist card. You better support us or these guys will take over and the west falls for it every time. Because in todays PC world it is easier to live a lie than to have to deal with the truth.
