Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert bent over backwards in
his prepared statement after his meeting with President Mubarak today to
avoid explicitly mentioning the very serious problem of Egypt's failiure to
stop the smuggling into the Gaza Strip. The issue was raised during the Q &
A by a reporter and rebuffed by President Mubarak.

The Egyptian handling of the smuggling (both their refusal to take serious
measures against the smuggling as well as their public stand regarding the
smuggling altogether) serves as an important warning regarding the value (or
lack thereof) of any guarantees or promises that may come from the
Palestinians regarding the battle against terror.

In a bizarre error, PM Olmert termed 29-year-old Israeli citizen, Ido Zoldan
of the settlement of Shavei Shomron, who was murdered Monday by Fatah
members, a "soldier" in his remarks.

Zoldan, who works in his father's construction company, was survived by his
wife Tehila and his two small children, three-year-old Aharon and
one-year-old Rachel.]

Olmert: Agreement can be reached in 2008
Following meeting with prime minister in Sharm el-Sheik, Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak says, 'Gaza and the West Bank cannot be separated; it is time
for one Palestinian state.' Olmert presents his plan for day after
Annapolis: 'Ongoing, comprehensive and intensive negotiations'
Roni Sofer YNET Published: 11.20.07, 13:26 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3473620,00.html

SHARM EL-SHEIK - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday presented his plan
for the day after the US-sponsored Mideast peace conference: "Ongoing,
comprehensive and intensive negotiations" for the implementation of the
vision of two states for two people.

Speaking at the end of his meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in
Sharm el-Sheik, Olmert said that "the goal of the Annapolis meeting is to
jumpstart of move of negotiations, which will lead us to deal with all the
essential issues on the agenda - ahead of an agreement.

Mubarak, on his part, refused to talk about the conference's "failure or
success", saying that it should be viewed as part of a process.

"The word failure means the end of the negotiations," he noted, adding that
one could not talk about a Palestinian state only in the West Bank or only
in Gaza. "It is time for one Palestinian state."

"We won't sit down and solve all the problems at once, after 60 years,"
Olmert told his host. "There will be difficult disagreements, there will be
crises, there will be disputes. But I am hopeful that if we act in a
cautious and responsible manner, there is a chance that we will eventually
reach an agreement.

"I hope we can reach an agreement during the year 2008," the prime minister
said, stressing that the negotiations "will not skip any issue standing
between us and them," meaning that the talks will address all the core
issues.

'Aren't we doing enough?'

The meeting also dealt with bilateral issues and with the efforts to release
kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.

In a joint press conference after the meeting, the prime minister noted that
his visit to Egypt was being held "under the difficult impression of the
ongoing terror activities in the territories."

According to Olmert, "These activities are part of the terrorists' efforts
to disrupt the attempts to reach a diplomatic dialogue, but they are also
proof that greater efforts are needed on the part of the Palestinian
Authority to fight terror.

"Israel is determined to halt the terror activities in Gaza, and will use
all its force to prevent the ongoing infiltration of Hamas terrorists into
Israel from the Gaza Strip," the prime minister said.

Asked by reporters about the smuggling of weapons from Egypt into the Gaza
Strip, Mubarak replied, "We have seized tons of weapons. Why are you saying
we are not doing enough?

"If there is a problem, the security organizations must cooperate. Egypt is
exerting a lot of efforts to stop the smuggling activities. If there is
information, we will stop them."

The summit was held exactly 30 years after former Egyptian President Anwar
Sadat's historic speech at the Knesset. Asked by reporters when he plans to
arrive in Israel for an official visit, Mubarak replied, "When the
Palestinian problem is solved."

Olmert thanked his host, who is expected to head a special Arab League
conference on Thursday, for his efforts to advance peace. "It is always nice
and pleasant to be your guest," he concluded.