Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the day before
yesterday that Iranian nuclear threat would be the key issue to be
discussed with U.S. President George W. Bush next week, the Ha'aretz daily
reported yesterday.
Olmert is set to meet with Bush at the White House on May 23.
The prime minister is planning to describe the severity with which Israel
views the Iranian nuclear threat, and explain that the country is not leading an
international struggle against Iran,said the report.
However, Israel expected the United States and other countries to do
everything they can to halt the threat, the report added.
Olmert also said that the primary objective of his upcoming trip is to create
a rapport with Bush.
As for the so-called convergence plan, Olmert said that he plans to present
it to the White House, but only after "three or 10 months," will it be possible
to announce there is no Palestinian negotiation partner and move on to
unilateral steps.
The plan involves further withdrawals from large swaths of the West Bank, but
not from major settlement blocs.
On Wednesday, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing senior officials in the
White House, that Bush will not discuss with Olmert details of his plan of
further withdrawals from the West Bank during Olmert's trip to Washington.
Olmert has vowed to set Israel's final borders by 2010, saying the
convergence plan will be his government's priority, under which Israel will quit
isolated settlements in the West Bank but keep bigger ones with or without the
Palestinians' consent.
Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip and parts of northern West Bank last
summer, a move supported by Washington.
Olmert's visit to Washington will be his first trip overseas since his Kadima
party won the March 28 general elections.
