Israeli Leader Outlines His Goals for Nation's Borders

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-olmert8feb08,0,492469.story?track=tottext

From the Los Angeles Times
Israeli Leader Outlines His Goals for Nation's Borders
By Ken Ellingwood
Times Staff Writer

February 8, 2006

JERUSALEM — Ehud Olmert, Israel's acting prime minister, laid out his vision Tuesday for the country's future borders, suggesting Israel should exit more areas of the West Bank but keep some major settlement blocks and territory near the boundary with Jordan.

The comments, made to Israel's Channel 2 in Olmert's first media interview since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke Jan. 4, represented his most explicit remarks as interim leader on the nation's eventual borders.

Though the comments of the former Jerusalem mayor differed little from the approach set by Sharon, they take on added significance because Olmert now heads Sharon's party, which is leading in polls heading into March 28 national elections. And the stunning triumph by the militant group Hamas in Palestinian parliamentary elections Jan. 25 suddenly makes his task vastly more complicated.

"The direction is clear. We are heading toward a separation from the Palestinians. We are heading toward deciding on final borders for the state of Israel," Olmert said in the half-hour interview. "We will maintain the unity of Jerusalem. We will keep the main settlement blocks. But the borders of which we are thinking are not those in which Israel exists today."
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