Today's Situation

Carry on regardless, October 15, 2007

Three of the four main Israeli newspaper lead their Monday editions with a decision by Attorney General Menahem Mazuz to launch a third criminal probe into the actions of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert - this time over alleged wrongdoing when Olmert served as Minister of Industry and Trade in 2003.

The prime minister is accused of involvement in decisions made by the Investments Center to help a project presented by a friend, Uri Messer. He is also alleged to have carried out a large number of political appointments and having helped associates through the Small Businesses Authority.

Maariv, Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post all cover the decision in their lead story, with all three pointing out that this is the third such investigation that Mazuz has ordered into Olmert. Yedioth Ahronoth, on the other hand, does not even mention the story on its front page, preferring instead to dedicate its main headline to Yuval Arad - daughter of missing Israeli airman Ron Arad - who is traveling to Germany to try and prevent the release from jail of an Iranian who is viewed in Israel as a key bargaining chip in efforts to learn about the fate of Ron Arad.

On Monday, Olmert's office issued its first response to the attorney general's decision, calling it 'superfluous.' Olmert's office added that it is clear beyond any doubt that the investigations will conclude without finding anything untoward.

The statement vows that Ehud Olmert will continue carrying out his responsibilities in all areas for the good of the people. So, while Mazuz met with the head of the police investigations branch and the head of the national anti-fraud unit, Olmert met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who arrived in the region on Sunday as part of U.S. efforts to lay the groundwork for the Annapolis summit in late November.

According to Haaretz, Rice reassured Olmert that the U.S. would not pressure him to make concessions that could destroy his coalition. According to the report, Rice told Olmert that Israel would not be pressured to do 'anything not accepted by her [Israel].' Olmert told Rice that he would attempt to reach a mutual statement with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas before the November conference in Annapolis.

Rice will meet with Abbas and other PA officials in Ramallah on Monday. PA officials are reportedly worried that Rice will ask them not to push for a timetable for Israeli concessions, out of fear that pushing for too many concessions could cause the breakup of Olmert's coalition. On Monday afternoon Secretary Rice will meet with Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Jerusalem. On Tuesday, she travels to Egypt to meet with President Hosni Mubarak.

En route to Israel, Rice dodged reporters' questions on the reported Israeli attack on Syria last month, insisting that the story is based only on press reports despite Syria's admission of an attack. She also opened the door for Syria to attend the Annapolis, Maryland conference planned for next month or December.

On the Palestinian front, The Jerusalem Post reports Monday that Egyptian officials have released senior Hamas terrorist Nahro Massoud, who is wanted by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Massoud fled to Egypt over a year ago and was subsequently arrested at the request of the PA. Massoud was listed as one of the hundreds of terrorists demanded by Hamas in exchange for kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. It is not clear if Massoud's release was somehow related to ongoing talks regarding Shalit.

PA officials expressed anger over the release, saying that Egyptian officials had changed their policy towards Hamas. While Egypt initially cut ties with Gaza after the Hamas takeover in June, moving its representatives to Ramallah and closing border crossings, Egyptian officials recently decided to allow dozens of Hamas terrorists to reenter Gaza in a nighttime operation concealed from the PA and international observers.

Elsewhere, Israel Radio reports that Defense Minister Ehud Barak is heading to the United States for talks with top officials, focusing on security cooperation, on his first trip to the United States since taking office in June. During the six-day visit, Barak is to meet Defense Secretary Robert Gates, as well as Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.

Barak is expected to discuss the development of a joint U.S.-Israeli military system aimed at countering the rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, and those fired from Lebanon during the Second Lebanon War. Last week, Barak said that the proposed advanced system would provide protection from about 90 percent of the attempts to attack Israel.

Finally, Haaretz reported Sunday that a ministerial committee had given the go-ahead for a salvage dig near the Temple Mount's Mughrabi Gate, but then reported Monday that the start of work had been delayed after an appeal at yesterday's cabinet meeting by Culture Minister Ghaleb Majadele. According to Akiva Eldar, restarting the dig 'could exacerbate tensions with neighboring countries ahead of next month's planned Annapolis peace summit.'

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