BUSH, BLAIR AND OLMERT REJECT BAKER REPORT RE ISRAEL

Bush: We can't impose deal on Israel, Palestinians (YNet)
WASHINGTON - The Baker-Hamilton report submitted to President George W. Bush on Wednesday evening proclaimed the urgent need to advance an immediate Israeli-Arab peace but President Bush took the stage Thursday evening in a joint press conference with UK PM Tony Blair and clarified that he cannot impose an agreement on both sides, no matter how much the US wants to impose it.

The Israelis and Palestinians, he said, need to assume responsibility and sign an agreement and the US will help, but not impose. Bush also went on to say that the demands of the Quartet could not be ignored and that State Secretary Condoleezza Rice was working hard on the matter.

It was evident from the press conference that Bush's view differed that that of the Baker report, saying that while its recommendations would be considered seriously - ''I don't think Jim Baker and Lee Hamilton expect us to accept every recommendation.'' The US administration has flat-out rejected the recommendation of direct talks with Iran and Syria.

Bush and Blair both spoke of the difficult situation in Iraq and ways to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both determined that a prisoner exchange between the two must take place prior to any negotiations.

Bush stressed that it was crucial to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reiterated that he is committed to a two-state solution. PM Blair announced that he will soon visit the Mideast.

Bush said that it is in the interest of both Israel and the Palestinians to have two-states for two peoples that will exist side by side in peace. He said that both he and PM Blair are committed to this goal and are willing to invest time to remove the obstacles standing the path of achieving that goal.

One of the obstacles is the matter of the prisoners, said Bush, and the second is the unity government, which would have to comply with the demands of the Quartet, that Israel will be able to negotiate with....

He added that when (Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert tried to push forward negotiations with the Palestinians, Hizbullah attacked – 'and let there be no mistake - extremists will continue to attack and kill.'

Blair noted that kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit must first be released by his captors before funds are given to the PA. Blair also said that discussions with the Palestinian government were impossible as long as it refused to recognize Israel's right to exist.

Olmert Rejects Linkage of Iraq War and Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Sees No Talks with Syria - Shmuel Rosner, Akiva Eldar, and Yoav Stern
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday rejected linkage of the Iraqi war with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by the Iraq Study Group. "The attempt to create linkage between the Iraqi issue and the Mideast issue - we have a different view," Olmert said. He also said conditions were not ripe to reopen talks with Syria, adding that he received no indications from President Bush during his recent visit to Washington that the U.S. would push Israel to start such talks. "The question of what Israel can offer Syria has been raised before. The question is, what can we get from the Syrians if we enter negotiations," Olmert said. (Ha'aretz)