Autobiography: Olmert asked Abbas to sign deal in late 2008

Thu, 27 Jan 2011

Tel Aviv - In excerpts of his autobiography published for the first time Thursday, former Israeli premier Ehud Olmert said he offered Mahmoud Abbas a far-reaching deal, but the Palestinian president hesitated and backed down.

The excerpts release by the Yediot Ahronot daily come after the al-Jazeera satellite TV published the so-called Palestine Papers over the past days - classified documents detailing the sensitive negotiations between Olmert and Abbas in the wake of the November 2007 Annapolis summit.

Under Olmert's proposal, the Palestinians would get a state based on the borders of before the 1967 war, in which Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt, with some territorial exchanges that would allow Israel to keep its main settlement blocks.

Jewish built-up areas in occupied East Jerusalem would go to Israel and Arab built-up areas to the Palestinians. Five states would be responsible for holy areas in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Israel would absorb only a small number of Palestinian refugees, the rest would go to the Palestinian state. A tunnel would connect the West Bank and Gaza.

The dramatic excerpts show how close the Olmert and Abu Mazen administrations were to signing a peace deal - until their negotiations were cut short as the Israeli premier was forced to resign over corruption allegations.

In his book, whose publication date was not immediately known, Olmert made his offer in a September 16, 2008 meeting. He asked Abbas to sign right away, but the Palestinian president replied he was no expert on maps and asked for a delay.

"Give me the maps so I can consult with my friends," Olmert quoted Abbas as saying to him at the time.

"No, I replied. "Take the pen and sign now. You will never get a more just and fair offer. Don't hesitate. It is difficult for me too," Olmert said.

Abbas then asked for a few days for consultations, but postponed the next scheduled negotiation session because of a trip to Amman. They did not meet again.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/364509,sign-deal-late-2008.html.