Tweet
Good News from Israel: Likud fascists come in dead LAST!
Last update - 02:33 29/03/2006
Olmert, declaring victory, appeals to Abbas for peace talks
By Haaretz Service
Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, declaring an election victory, appealed to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas early Wednesday to enter into negotiations over the permanent borders of Israel, but added that Israel would act alone if peace efforts remained stalled.
Exit polls released as polling stations closed at 10 P.M. Tuesday showed center-left parties gaining a total of between 62 and 66 seats, with Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima winning 29 to 32 seats, Labor 20-22 seats, Meretz five and the Arab parties seven to eight seats.
But as the actual vote count passed 70 percent of the total, Kadima's strength slipped to 28 seats. Labor held at 20 seats, and Shas rose to 13, raising the possibility that the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party could become the third largest faction in the Knesset.
The Likud, which had hoped to block a center-left coalition, stood at 12 seats, far below the figures the party had hoped and a far cry from the 38 seats it won under Ariel Sharon in 2003.
Next in strength was Avigdor Lieberman's Russian Yisrael Beiteinu at 11 seats.
In the largest surprise of the night, the Pensioners party stood at eight seats. The right-wing National Union-National Religious Party was also at eight seats, with United Torah Judaism at six and Meretz and five. The Arab parties stood to win a total of nine seats.
Lowest voter turnout in history
"We are ready to compromise, to give up parts of the beloved Land of Israel," Olmert said after in remarks addressed to Abbas, "and evacuate, under great pain, Jews living there, in order to create the conditions that will enable you to fulfil your dream and live alongside us."
"If the Palestinians are wise enough to act, then in the near future we will sit together at the negotiating table to create a new reality. If they do not, Israel will take its destiny in hand," Olmert said in a speech to Kadima leaders. "The time has come to act."
The total voter turnout was 63 percent, by far the lowest percentage in Israel's history. The previous low was notched in 2003, when 68 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots.
The 10-11 seats in the exit polls, indicating that it could have the same strength as the Likud.
The polls also showed the right-wing National Union-NRP taking eight to nine seats and the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism five to six seats.
While the results pointed to a new government headed by Olmert, he would likely seek additional partners to broaden his coalition and shore up support for such policy moves as a further withdrawal in the West Bank.
Netanyahu: Sharon left us a shattered movement
Kadima, which had slipped in polls in recent weeks, was jubilant over the results, as were Labor Party officials.
"Kadima has won today. The next prime minister is Ehud Olmert," said Kadima MK Roni Bar-On, who, like Olmert and a host of other senior political figures, had followed Sharon out of the Likud to found a new centrist party.
Labor Party candidates said their party had won a victory as well, apparently exceeding the predictions of recent opinion surveys.
"I am quite satisfied. This party is now considered a serious party, and this is a success story tonight," said Collette Avital, a senior Labor Party member.
There was dejection in the Likud camp, which had difficulty regrouping after the party split late last year into rival factions headed by Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Although the actual results have yet to arrive, we have no doubt that the Likud has sustained a heavy blow," Netanyahu told party activists.
In a direct swipe at Sharon, Netanyahu said the party had already been hard hit when "the former head of the party left it, and left us a broken, shattered movement."
Netanyahu said he would stay on as party chairman. "We intend to continue along the path we have only just begun in order to ensure this movement is rehabilitated and takes its rightful place in the nation's leadership," he told reporters.
Just before Netanyahu spoke, a buoyed Lieberman told well-wishers that he had no doubt that in the next election, Yisrael Beiteinu would become Israel's ruling party.
Rafi Eitan, leader of the Pensioners party, turned aside questions as to the faction's positions on matters of state. But he was forthright on the goals the party has set for itself, safeguarding the future of senior citizens. "We'll achieve our goals within one year," he said.
Abbas aide: PA ready to resume talks immediately
A top aide to Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority chairman was ready to renew negotiations with Israel immediately.
"We're ready to go into direct and immediate negotiations to implement the road map if the Israeli government is ready," said Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh. "We hope to see an Israeli government ready to implement the road map."
Recent statements by Olmert have cast the future of the U.S.-backed road map peace plan in doubt, as he has stated that Palestinian inaction against violence would compel Israel to unilaterally set its border with the West Bank.
Hamas, for its part, spoke out against unilateralism. "Let's see how things will develop in the future. At the moment, what we see and what is declared is a unilateral separation plan from Olmert," said Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader.
"This plan is rejected by the Palestinian people."
"Our interest is that any party which rules in the occupation state should be brave to recognize the rights of our people in establishing their full sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital and to free male and female prisoners in their jails and to recognize the right of return."
Link
Olmert, declaring victory, appeals to Abbas for peace talks
By Haaretz Service
Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, declaring an election victory, appealed to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas early Wednesday to enter into negotiations over the permanent borders of Israel, but added that Israel would act alone if peace efforts remained stalled.
Exit polls released as polling stations closed at 10 P.M. Tuesday showed center-left parties gaining a total of between 62 and 66 seats, with Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima winning 29 to 32 seats, Labor 20-22 seats, Meretz five and the Arab parties seven to eight seats.
But as the actual vote count passed 70 percent of the total, Kadima's strength slipped to 28 seats. Labor held at 20 seats, and Shas rose to 13, raising the possibility that the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party could become the third largest faction in the Knesset.
The Likud, which had hoped to block a center-left coalition, stood at 12 seats, far below the figures the party had hoped and a far cry from the 38 seats it won under Ariel Sharon in 2003.
Next in strength was Avigdor Lieberman's Russian Yisrael Beiteinu at 11 seats.
In the largest surprise of the night, the Pensioners party stood at eight seats. The right-wing National Union-National Religious Party was also at eight seats, with United Torah Judaism at six and Meretz and five. The Arab parties stood to win a total of nine seats.
Lowest voter turnout in history
"We are ready to compromise, to give up parts of the beloved Land of Israel," Olmert said after in remarks addressed to Abbas, "and evacuate, under great pain, Jews living there, in order to create the conditions that will enable you to fulfil your dream and live alongside us."
"If the Palestinians are wise enough to act, then in the near future we will sit together at the negotiating table to create a new reality. If they do not, Israel will take its destiny in hand," Olmert said in a speech to Kadima leaders. "The time has come to act."
The total voter turnout was 63 percent, by far the lowest percentage in Israel's history. The previous low was notched in 2003, when 68 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots.
The 10-11 seats in the exit polls, indicating that it could have the same strength as the Likud.
The polls also showed the right-wing National Union-NRP taking eight to nine seats and the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism five to six seats.
While the results pointed to a new government headed by Olmert, he would likely seek additional partners to broaden his coalition and shore up support for such policy moves as a further withdrawal in the West Bank.
Netanyahu: Sharon left us a shattered movement
Kadima, which had slipped in polls in recent weeks, was jubilant over the results, as were Labor Party officials.
"Kadima has won today. The next prime minister is Ehud Olmert," said Kadima MK Roni Bar-On, who, like Olmert and a host of other senior political figures, had followed Sharon out of the Likud to found a new centrist party.
Labor Party candidates said their party had won a victory as well, apparently exceeding the predictions of recent opinion surveys.
"I am quite satisfied. This party is now considered a serious party, and this is a success story tonight," said Collette Avital, a senior Labor Party member.
There was dejection in the Likud camp, which had difficulty regrouping after the party split late last year into rival factions headed by Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Although the actual results have yet to arrive, we have no doubt that the Likud has sustained a heavy blow," Netanyahu told party activists.
In a direct swipe at Sharon, Netanyahu said the party had already been hard hit when "the former head of the party left it, and left us a broken, shattered movement."
Netanyahu said he would stay on as party chairman. "We intend to continue along the path we have only just begun in order to ensure this movement is rehabilitated and takes its rightful place in the nation's leadership," he told reporters.
Just before Netanyahu spoke, a buoyed Lieberman told well-wishers that he had no doubt that in the next election, Yisrael Beiteinu would become Israel's ruling party.
Rafi Eitan, leader of the Pensioners party, turned aside questions as to the faction's positions on matters of state. But he was forthright on the goals the party has set for itself, safeguarding the future of senior citizens. "We'll achieve our goals within one year," he said.
Abbas aide: PA ready to resume talks immediately
A top aide to Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinian Authority chairman was ready to renew negotiations with Israel immediately.
"We're ready to go into direct and immediate negotiations to implement the road map if the Israeli government is ready," said Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh. "We hope to see an Israeli government ready to implement the road map."
Recent statements by Olmert have cast the future of the U.S.-backed road map peace plan in doubt, as he has stated that Palestinian inaction against violence would compel Israel to unilaterally set its border with the West Bank.
Hamas, for its part, spoke out against unilateralism. "Let's see how things will develop in the future. At the moment, what we see and what is declared is a unilateral separation plan from Olmert," said Palestinian Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader.
"This plan is rejected by the Palestinian people."
"Our interest is that any party which rules in the occupation state should be brave to recognize the rights of our people in establishing their full sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital and to free male and female prisoners in their jails and to recognize the right of return."
Link
Comment