Down The Middle News: Israel ex-PM Ehud Olmert defiantly rallies behind Palestinian leader

Israel’s former prime minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday known as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas a associate for peace, defiantly rejecting efforts by Benjamin Netanyahu’s authorities to sideline the veteran chief.

Olmert, Netanyahu’s centrist predecessor who led Israel from 2006 to 2009, met with Abbas in New York hours after the Palestinian chief went earlier than the UN Safety Council to denounce US President Donald Trump’s Center East plan.

The previous prime minister didn’t criticize Trump’s plan, which paves the best way for Israel to annex a lot of the West Financial institution, however mentioned that any future negotiations wanted to contain Abbas, an 84-year-old thought of a reasonable.

“He’s a person of peace, he’s against terror, and subsequently he’s the one associate that we will cope with,” Olmert instructed reporters with Abbas at his facet.

“It would take a while however these negotiations will happen, and the associate of Israel to those negotiations will probably be Mahmud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority,” he mentioned.

Hinting at Netanyahu’s political woes, Olmert mentioned: “Who would be the associate on the Israeli facet? We are going to know later this yr.”

Abbas, who succeeded Yasser Arafat in 2005, known as Olmert “my pricey buddy” and mentioned he wished to “lengthen my hand to the Israeli individuals.”

“We need to obtain peace by means of peaceable means and negotiations,” he mentioned. “Let me reiterate once more, we’re towards and are not looking for violence.”

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, had warned Olmert towards assembly Abbas, whom Netanyahu’s authorities accuses of inciting unrest.

Danon instructed the Safety Council that the Palestinians wanted a brand new chief, saying that Abbas was unable to think about the “sensible” proposals of Trump.

Olmert “is endorsing diplomatic terrorism towards Israel. It’s shameful,” Danon mentioned after Olmert met Abbas.

Olmert is near Netanyahu’s centrist rival Benny Gantz who went neck-and-neck with the prime minister in two inconclusive elections final yr, with a 3rd vote scheduled for March 2.

Olmert, nonetheless, mentioned he was not talking for Gantz.

Olmert stepped down underneath a cloud of corruption scandals. Netanyahu in November was additionally indicted on fees of bribery, fraud and breach of belief.

Picture: Bryan R. Smith/AFP

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