This delay has nothing to do with the "...the "vagueness" of Hamas' position", and everything to do with the fact that Olmert is fighting for his political life, in view of the corruption scandal which has emerged around him recently, and the Extremists demanding his head - because he 'dared' to speak to Palestinians (even though the process was designed to fail) - reject any peace or coexistence with the Palestinians.
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.
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.
Barak and Olmert delay cabinet vote on Gaza Strip cease-fire
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.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7430141.stm
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http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10555S
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winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?8994S
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http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/388658.html
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alaanasnews.blogspot.com/2007/12/as-predicted-israel-attacks-gaza.html
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http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389828.html
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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944276.html
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http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m40008&hd=&size=1&l=e
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http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389757.html?c=on#c187937
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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/960338.html
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http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392935.html
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http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?11022S
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https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/9026/index.php
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.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7430141.stm Warnings Pour in For Israel to Cease Collective Punishment
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10555S Red Cross Condemns Gaza Collective Punishment (the First Round)
winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?8994S
As Predicted: Gaza Reoccupation Planned
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/388658.html 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'
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389828.html Probe: At Least Half of Palestinians Killed by IDF Were Civilians
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944276.html Israeli Attacks on Palestinians, Killings, Doubled Since Annapolis
http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m40008&hd=&size=1&l=e UN Condemns Collective Punishment of Gaza
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/01/389757.html?c=on#c187937 It's All Right, I'm Only Bleeding
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http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10554S Israel Guilty of Ethnic Cleansing
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/03/215186.php UN: Israel Must Halt Use of Excessive Force
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/03/215185.php Rights Group: More than 50% of Gaza casualties were civilians
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/960338.html Joint Statement Against the Israeli Airstrikes on the Gaza Strip
http://www.alternativenews.org/news/english/joint-statement-against-the-israeli Amnesty Int'l Condemns IDF for Reckless Disregard of Life in Gaza
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392935.html U.N. Chief Condemns Israel After Bloody Day in Gaza
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/03/392791.html Anatomy of Racism
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/03/215184.php Israel's Goals: Regime Change, Reoccupation
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/03/215188.php Bay of Pigs in Gaza: Gaza Crisis Made in USA
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/03/215187.php How to Become an Israeli Journalist
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?12885S U.S. Media Coverage of Israel-Palestine Conflict
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00151.htm Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land
http://www.freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=169 Israel & The 'Clash of Civilizations'
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?11022S Anti-Arab Racism and Incitement in Israel
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/8768/index.php Jewish Groups Condemn Collective Punishment of Gaza
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10877S Iran Jewish MP criticises "anti-human" Israel acts
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080507/tpl-uk-israel-palestinians-1948-iran-43a8d4f.html A Human Rights Crime In Gaza
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?14547S Poll Reveals Neo-Con Zionist Groups Unrepresentative
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?14454S Western Jews Revolt Against Zionist Bully Tactics
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/6119/index.php Zionism's Support Faltering
http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?6297S Child Victims of a War the World Doesn't Want to Know About
https://israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/9026/index.php 
