Even though he is going to Washington this week, he may well be on his way to be a proverbial lame duck, in light of potential new elections in Israel.
Israel also knows that - as its own defence staff warned - its illegal Collective Punishment provoked the rockets it used to 'justify' military strikes on Gaza which were planned for over a year, and if these criminal policies are ended, so will the rockets, and this will prove Israel was lying all along, aided by a willing media.
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Gaza, Israel, Hamas, Truce
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Saturday canceled a political-security cabinet meeting slated for Sunday, in which a vote was to be held on whether or not to agree to a cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Olmert and Barak decided that due to the "vagueness" of Hamas' position in regard to the ceasefire, a cabinet vote on whether to accept it would be premature.
The cabinet meeting will be postponed until the following Sunday.
A senior state official on Friday stated that the demands Hamas stipulated for the ceasefire were very difficult, in light of the fact that the Organization would not be required to stop smuggling weapons in the Gaza Strip.
(And Israel deliberately created this crisis, and doesn't want it to end.)
Senior Hamas officials have said that the Palestinian militant group would accept Israel's gradual opening of Gaza's border crossings as part of a truce deal, Israel Radio reported on Saturday.
This move would constitute a retreat by Hamas from its previous position, whereby it demanded the immediate opening of the crossings as condition for the Egyptian-brokered truce taking effect.
The officials stated that the Rafah Gaza-Sinai crossing would be included in this new offer, according to which the border terminals would be opened in accordance with a timetable to be set by both sides.
Hamas officials said that this new position illustrates their group's flexibility in efforts to reach a cease-fire with Israel. They said Hamas is waiting to hear Jerusalem's response to the new offer from Egyptian mediators.
On Monday, Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan accused Israel of putting obstacles in front of Egyptian efforts to achieve the ceasefire by refusing to open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
"The Rafah border must be opened as part of the calm," Radwan said, repeating Hamas' demand that Egypt open the crossing if Israel doesn't.

Warnings Pour in For Israel to Cease Collective Punishment

Red Cross Condemns Gaza Collective Punishment (the First Round)
winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?8994S
As Predicted: Gaza Reoccupation Planned

As Predicted: Israel Attacks Gaza
alaanasnews.blogspot.com/2007/12/as-predicted-israel-attacks-gaza.html
Israel Destroys Gaza Interior Ministry, Blocks UN Aid
today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2008-01-18T
UN Condemns 'Cowardly Israeli War Crime'

Probe: At Least Half of Palestinians Killed by IDF Were Civilians

Israeli Attacks on Palestinians, Killings, Doubled Since Annapolis

UN Condemns Collective Punishment of Gaza

It's All Right, I'm Only Bleeding

Israel, World Jewry Drift Apart

Israel Guilty of Ethnic Cleansing

UN: Israel Must Halt Use of Excessive Force

Rights Group: More than 50% of Gaza casualties were civilians

Joint Statement Against the Israeli Airstrikes on the Gaza Strip

Amnesty Int'l Condemns IDF for Reckless Disregard of Life in Gaza

U.N. Chief Condemns Israel After Bloody Day in Gaza

Anatomy of Racism

Israel's Goals: Regime Change, Reoccupation

Bay of Pigs in Gaza: Gaza Crisis Made in USA

How to Become an Israeli Journalist

U.S. Media Coverage of Israel-Palestine Conflict

Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land

Israel & The 'Clash of Civilizations'

Anti-Arab Racism and Incitement in Israel

Jewish Groups Condemn Collective Punishment of Gaza

Iran Jewish MP criticises "anti-human" Israel acts

A Human Rights Crime In Gaza

Poll Reveals Neo-Con Zionist Groups Unrepresentative

Western Jews Revolt Against Zionist Bully Tactics

Zionism's Support Faltering

Child Victims of a War the World Doesn't Want to Know About
