WORLD> Middle East
Shadow hangs over Olmert's US visit
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-04 08:01

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday began a three-day visit to Washington, under criminal investigation back home in a corruption scandal that is casting a shadow over US-brokered talks with the Palestinians.

Breaking with his usual practice, Olmert did not hold a question-and-answer session with reporters on his plane during an overnight flight from Tel Aviv.

Olmert, due to see President George W. Bush in the White House today, has rebuffed calls that he step aside after a US businessman testified that he gave the veteran Israeli politician $150,000 in cash and in unpaid loans.

Both Olmert, who has described the money as legitimate election campaign contributions, and the New York-based fund-raiser, have denied any wrongdoing.

The political crisis enveloping Olmert could trigger an early election and derail the peace talks, Israeli, Palestinian and Western officials say. Olmert says he will resign if indicted.

Olmert kicked off his Washington visit yesterday with talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and an evening address to a policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group.

Olmert held talks in Jerusalem on Monday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been politically weakened by the takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas Islamists last June.

Officials said Olmert's strategy was to push ahead with negotiations with the Palestinians, as well as indirect talks with Syria, as if nothing has changed in the hope the police investigation does not end in charges against him.

"This process will continue," Olmert's spokesman, Mark Regev, said of the talks with the Palestinians.

Regev said that Olmert recommitted himself during the meeting to trying to reach a deal on Palestinian statehood by the end of the year, before Bush leaves office. The statehood talks have shown few signs of progress.

Olmert is scheduled to dine with Vice President Dick Cheney today and to meet Congressional leaders tomorrow before flying home.

Agencies

(China Daily 06/04/2008 page12)