Olmert seeks to resume talks with Palestinians

IN his first policy statement since becoming Israel’s acting prime minister, Ehud Olmert said that he wants to resume final peace talks with the Palestinians and take harsh action against Israeli squatters in the West Bank - a sign the front-runner in Israel’s March 28 election is ready for bold steps to end the conflict.

But Mr Olmert took a tough stand against Iran, saying Israel “under no circumstances”, will allow it to go nuclear.

The comments by Mr Olmert, 60, carry special weight because of a widespread assumption among Israelis that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who suffered a devastating stroke on January 4, will never return to power and that Mr Olmert will replace him. Hospital officials reported no change in Mr Sharon’s condition yesterday, critical, stable and comatose.

Mr Olmert, a former mayor of Jerusalem and the vice-premier under Mr Sharon, has a commanding lead in the polls, putting him in a position to begin carrying out Mr Sharon’s vision of delineating Israel’s borders.

Flanked by reporters after meeting Israeli President Moshe Katsav, Mr Olmert offered a brief glimpse of what life under his rule would look like.

Mr Olmert said that as soon as Israelis and Palestinians complete their respective parliamentary elections - the Palestinians vote on January 25 - he hopes he can enter negotiations with Abu Mazen.

The talks would be for “a permanent peace agreement between us and the Palestinians”, he said.

Mr Olmert reiterated Mr Sharon’s policy that any talks should be based on the internationally backed “road map” peace plan, which calls for the creation of a Palestinian state and outlines steps, so far unrealised, for the sides to abandon conflict.

Mr Olmert said Israel would deal forcefully with a group of Israeli squatters who took over an abandoned Palestinian market in the holy city of Hebron.