Prime Minister Olmert: “Borders Must Be Defensible and Ensure a Solid Jewish Majority” (Prime Minister’s Office)

Presenting Israel’s new government to the Knesset Thursday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said:

• “I believe with all my heart in the people of Israel’s eternal historic right to the entire land of Israel. However, dreams and recognition of this right do not constitute a political program. Even if the Jewish eye cries, and even if our hearts are broken, we must preserve the essence. We must preserve a stable and solid Jewish majority in our state.”
• “The continued dispersed settlement throughout Judea and Samaria creates an inseparable mixture of populations which will endanger the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish state….Partition of the land for the purpose of guaranteeing a Jewish majority is the lifeline of Zionism.”
• “The Government of Israel under my leadership prefers negotiations with a Palestinian Authority committed to the principles of the Roadmap, which fights terror, dismantles terrorist organizations, abides by the rules of democracy and upholds, practically and thoroughly, all agreements which have thus far been signed with the State of Israel….That said, we will not wait forever.”
• “We will also act without an agreement with the Palestinians to create an understanding which will, first and foremost, be founded on a correct definition of the desired borders for the State of Israel. These borders must be defensible, and ensure a solid Jewish majority.”
• “The agreement to which we aspire to shape the Middle East is based on consensus, broad consensus first and foremost within ourselves, and thereafter with our friends around the world.”

  See also Defensible Borders for a Lasting Peace – Yuval Steinitz, Yaakov Amidror, Meir Rosenne, and Dore Gold (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)
  See also Olmert’s Unilateral Option: An Early Assessment – David Makovsky (Washington Institute for Near East Policy) (48pp-pdf)