Pity that this man is not doing everything possible to eliminate Hezbollah threat to his homeland.
Posted on 08/11/2006 4:12:28 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced a backlash on Friday over a UN proposal to end the war in Lebanon, with army officers saying they were held back and right-wing rivals calling for new elections.
"Olmert must go," read a front page headline in Israel's left-leaning Haaretz newspaper.
Opinion polls, conducted before details of the proposed Security Council resolution emerged, showed public support eroding for Olmert, a career politician who lacks the combat credentials of many of his predecessors.
Twenty per cent of those surveyed by Haaretz believed Israel was winning the war.
Leading members of the right-wing opposition Likud party called the resolution a victory for Hezbollah.
"We will work to bring down the government," said Likud's Silvan Shalom. Yuval Steinitz, also of Likud, said the Israeli government should resign and call new elections.
Some Israeli military commanders said an expanded ground offensive, authorised by Olmert and his security cabinet on Wednesday, should not have been put on hold.
They accused Olmert of denying the army a chance to gain more ground militarily to secure a ceasefire that would be more favourable to Israel and less so to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Army officers said Israeli troops massed along the Lebanese border were now "sitting ducks" while Israeli political leaders awaited the outcome of the negotiations at the United Nations.
"We need to keep on going with the military operation," said one officer. He did not want to be identified.
Another officer told Haaretz: "Nasrallah will continue to mock us, and in the end there will be another war."
Justice Minister Haim Ramon defended the government, telling Israel Radio: "War in the name of the war is not an objective."
Tzachi Hanegbi, a senior member of Olmert's Kadima party, said if it was possible to remove Hezbollah from southern Lebanon through diplomacy, "obviously this is far preferable to a military clash with its heavy price in lives of fighters".
The latest proposal calls for the existing UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon to be reinforced by French and other troops, although Beirut has rejected a proposed mandate allowing the use of force for more than just self-defence.
Hezbollah would pull out from south of the Litani river, 20 km from the border as Israel wants. Israeli critics say the resolution would not secure the immediate release of two soldiers seized by Hezbollah, whose capture on July 12 sparked the war, and does not guarantee the group's disarmament.
Political sources said Israel was still pushing for changes to the resolution to make sure troops would withdraw only once the expanded peacekeeping force was on the ground.
LOL - the bias starts in the location byline.
That's the dateline? Sure this isn't a Reuters piece?
Yes, actually you're correct. I was in a hurry to post this.
Admin Moderator, if you don't mind, please edit and list the source which is Reuters.
This guy had something like an 85% approval rating just last week, didn't he?
I knew it!
Sharon suffered a stroke, so naturally people had sympathy and elected his "successor" into office.
But Olmert is toast, it's only a matter of time.
Bibi and Likud party could make a big comeback if they play their cards right.
And the downside of this is...?
Yes, it's stunning how much ineptitude he's demonstrated in one week.
Olmert has to go!
This guy is a disaster. I don't blame Israel's for throwing up their hands at this guy's pussy-footing around. What a joke.
Israel is a member of the UN. Why can't we just declare the IDF the "UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon" and let them get on with keeping the peace like they've been doing?
Pity that this man is not doing everything possible to eliminate Hezbollah threat to his homeland.
Olmert has taken too long to make decisive moves. Israel could really be on top of things if they hadn't waited to send in the troops. I heard today that Olmert was afraid of casualties. That doesn't sound like the IDF to me. Prayers for the IDF that it isn't too late to bring Hezbollah completely to it's knees.
Yeah, only now he's chosen to wave the white flag and never got back the bodies.
I don't make predictions about what citizens in foreign lands will do. But I won't deny after his surrender I want them to toss him swiftly and reject the U.N. proposal.
The Left and right were united in this war over in Israel. Seems, unfortunately, their current "leader" doesn't have the same fortitude.
I think we can look at Olmert and see what we'd be getting ourselves into putting a Democrat back into the White House. "We'll hold off on responding to this latest Al Qaeda attack on Lower Manhattan until we can look the French ceasefire offer."
> Olmert has taken too long to make decisive moves.
"too long" and "decisive" don't belong in the same sentence.
Olmert needs to join the equally useless Jimmah Carter
pounding nails somewhere.
IMO, Olmert is going to be removed and this deal not approved.
Byline still not correct. Should read "Al Reuters".
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