Olmert's Plea

By Janet Parshall
Beyond The News

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met for the first time with President Bush this week. Among the topics covered were Iran and Olmert's proposal to withdraw from 90 percent of Judea and Samaria.

But danger lurks in the concept of further withdrawals. When Israel withdrew from Gaza, the thanks they received was a Hamas majority in the newly-formed Palestinian Legislative Council. Israeli security will be greatly weakened by offering yet more territory to terrorists--and more terrorists will translate into a greater threat that could easily spill over into the broader Middle East.

President Bush continues to talk about a two state solution. While conceding land, Olmert is also discussing partitions in the city of Jerusalem, a goal clearly articulated by the PLO charter years ago.

With the proposed withdrawal, Hamas and al-Qaeda will take over the territory. Olmert needs to stand firm and wait to see if its neighbor is also willing to sacrifice for peace.