For years there have been many attempts to formulate a peace process between Palestine and Israel. Despite successful peace settlements between Egypt and Israel and Israel and Jordan, negotiators have seen failure upon failure to achieve a settlement between Israel and Palestine. In 1993 there were the Oslo negotiations between Israel and the PLO for an end to decades of “confrontation and conflict" and each side recognizing "their mutual legitimate and political rights". However this partially failed due to Hamas and other Palestinian rejectionist groups not accepting the Oslo agreements. Then there were the CAMP DAVID 2000 negotiations whereby Israel offered the PLO the Gaza Strip and a big part of the West Bank, but keeping main settlement blocks and most of East Jerusalem. However for the Palestinians not enough was offered for them to accept and consequently led to another Palestinian Intifada. Later in 2002 there were talks of a Road Map, which would lay down the conditions of a settlement. This was then reversed in the GENEVA ACCORD, 2003, whereby growth and security was the main issue rather than a political agreement. Thus the settlement was based on the condition that the Palestinians must give up their "right of return" in exchange for a majority of the West Bank. Israel would also give up some major settlements. Nevertheless these negotiations do not even have an official status, presumably pending failure.
The current climate in the Middle East unfortunately looks no better. The dips and dives of the rollercoaster ride of likely agreements seems to have come to an end, as not only have the two main Palestine groups, Fatah and its Islamist rival, Hamas ruined any prospect of co-operation. But the Israeli Prime Minister, who has for the past year been riddled with corruption allegations, suggests that any indication for an early peace deal seems doubtful.
Olmert Vs Talansky - The Scandal explained
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared his intensions to resign by September of 2008, after being faced with dramatic allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. These set of events forever defined Olmert's scandal-shortened tenure as Israel's prime minister as an absolute fraudulent image. This seemed to be on the mind of many Israelis when an image on a poster used in a protest bared a picture of the American financier who testified in court to bankrolling Olmert's exquisite tastes: fine cigars and Montblanc pens, first-class flights and five-star suites, a designer watch and an Italian vacation all included in "Olmert tours".
Morris Talansky, a Long Island philanthropist and fund-raiser for Israeli charities, is at the centre of a growing storm surrounding Israel's Prime Minister, which has riveted and agitated Israel despite a veil of secrecy over the continuing investigation.
Within Jewish circles, Mr. Talansky is best known for the years he spent as a fund-raiser for the American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Centre in Jerusalem. The hospital is popular with American Jewry, and its American fund-raising arm took in $20 million in gifts in 2002, a recent peak, according to available tax returns. Paul Glasser, the national executive director for the American organization, said Mr. Talansky had not worked for the charity since 1997. But the organization reported on its 2004 tax return that Mr. Talansky earned $90,000 that year as a consultant, with the organization pulling in more than $14 million from outside sources. Tax records also show that Mr. Talansky served as the main contact and treasurer for the American branch of the New Jerusalem Foundation, a charity closely associated with Mr. Olmert that raises money for causes in and around Jerusalem. The American branch received its tax exemption in the United States in 1999, when Mr. Olmert was in his sixth year as mayor of Jerusalem.
According to the charity's recent tax returns, it has had ups and downs, raising as much as $376,000 in contributions, gifts and grants in 2000, but only $76,000 in 2005.
Describing its mission as providing “social, educational and recreational activities in Israel,” the charity reported spending thousands of dollars to buy school supplies and to run camps for needy children in Israel and arranging recreational trips for residents of northern Israel who had been closeted in bomb shelters during recent hostilities.
Swarming under these numerous allegations Mr. Olmert withered under the hounding media and had no choice but to resign. Israeli political analyst Dan Margalit, called the prime minister's decision to quit "a sad end to a miserable career". Uri Dromi, another expert, called Olmert a "lame duck". However he still remains in office until the Kadima primaries on September 17th and if no government is formed after elections he could remain in office until 2010. Being as it may the question which is on the tip of everyone's tongue, is what is the impact of his resignation on the future peace process in the Middle East. Will he just remain a Lame Duck Prime Minister or will negotiations continue?
