Today, lame duck Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met if-it-walks-like-a-duck-and-talks-like-a-duck PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday pledged at a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Israelis and Palestinians would try to seal a peace deal this year in line with a target set by Washington.
“We have to complete the Annapolis process this year – this year,” Olmert, grasping Abbas in a handshake and using his other hand to gesture to the Palestinian leader, said emphatically in English as they posed for photographers at talks in Jerusalem.
The prime minister was referring to U.S.-sponsored Palestinian statehood talks that began at a conference in Annapolis, Maryland last November after a seven-year breakdown. Both leaders pledged to continue the talks until the end of the year, despite Olmert’s plans to step down after a September primary in his Kadima party.
Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said after the meeting that significant progress had been made in the talks but there are still considerable gaps between the two sides. He would not elaborate on the differences and gave no direct answer when asked if Olmert broached the idea of an interim agreement at the meeting.
Palestinian officials were not immediately available for comment.
During the meeting, Olmert protested Abbas’ recent meeting with notorious Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar, whom Israel released in July as part of a prisoner swap with Hezbollah.
The prime minister told Abbas: “You are not a man of terror, and I didn’t expect you to meet with such a despicable killer as him.” (Yeah, that’s the job of the Israeli government – ed.)
So to summarize..
Olmert: “You are not a duck so stop meeting with ducks.”
Abbas: “Quack!”
IDF: “Incoming Qassam…..duck!”
Me (to Olmert and Abbas): You’re despicable!
