Being the prime minister of a transition government does not seem to faze Ehud Olmert, who has announced plans to travel to Washington once again, following next week’s presidential elections in the United States. Olmert hopes that he will succeed in signing a deal with the PA (Palestinian Authority), looking to create facts on the ground prior to leaving office.

Bush is also in the same situation, counting down the days until he leaves the White House, but aides to Olmert insist the prime minister views the upcoming visit as an important one, rejecting accusations that Olmert is permitting himself a final good-bye visit to the White House at the expense of Am Yisrael.

It would appear that both leaders would love to sign a declaration of principles, something that would serve as the basis for a final agreement between Israel and the PA, both leaders seeking to leave favorable memories behind as they prepare to vacate office.

Olmert seems genuinely uninterested in the reality that Kadima leader Tzipi Livni, Labor leader Ehud Barak and opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu are opposed to him making any decision that will significantly impact the political process for the incoming administration. One of the three will most likely be the next prime minister.

On a similar note, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to make another trip to Israel, during which she is expected to pressure Jerusalem into signing some sort of document with the PA, perhaps a document validating the continuation of the understanding reached at Annapolis.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)