Word: olmert
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...violence was a harbinger of the second Palestinian intifadeh, during which Jerusalem withstood a regular onslaught of suicide bombings. "I've seen more attacks and more blood than any political leader anyplace," Olmert says. "There were attacks in almost every corner of the city. I've met with dozens of victims. It's something that comes back to me time and time again." Olmert says the experience "re-emphasized the need for separation" from the Palestinians...
That meant throwing support behind the idea of evacuating settlements in the occupied territories, a position long championed by Israeli doves, including Aliza Olmert. She says she voted for her husband's party for the first time last month. "The situation made right-wingers like Ehud realize that sooner or later we had to negotiate, or in the worst case act unilaterally," says Aliza. "And the experience of living with someone like me, with a lefty-oriented position, can be powerful." When Olmert steps away from the table, Aliza says Ehud's frequent absence from home made their five children...
...Sharon's prodding, Olmert agreed to run again for the Knesset. Though Olmert was only 34th on the Likud's list of candidates, a reflection of his weakness in the party, Sharon made him Deputy Prime Minister. In that role Olmert acted as Sharon's foil, floating trial balloons before Sharon signed on to them--the most notable being the plan to evacuate settlers from the Gaza Strip last year, an idea first proposed by Olmert in a newspaper interview in 2003. But despite Olmert's loyalty, friends say, he never felt accepted by the Israeli leader. Sharon excluded Olmert...
...Olmert's desire to step out of his predecessor's shadow may have influenced his campaign pledge to initiate a withdrawal from parts of the West Bank by 2010. After the relative success of the Gaza pullout and the rise to power of Hamas in the Palestinian territories, many Israelis have abandoned faith in peace negotiations with the Palestinians in favor of unilateral moves. But withdrawing from the West Bank, which is home to 230,000 settlers, may prove more wrenching than it was in Gaza. "Sharon never meant to go as far as Olmert is proposing," says Natan Sharansky...
...only one. The Hamas-run Palestinian government said last week it will be unable to pay the salaries of 140,000 Palestinians this month without an immediate infusion of aid. Olmert has refused to turn over $50 million in tax revenues Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinians and has ruled out negotiations with the government unless Hamas renounces terrorism and recognizes Israel. But the prospect of a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories may force Israel to soften its position on Hamas. Olmert told TIME he is meeting with aides "to see what we can do" to assist...