Comment: Olmert, less than 3% voter confidence, said to take away road blocks; Barak, Olmert's choice for defense minister, says no way. We just stopped major homicide bombers on the way to murder us. What position makes the most sense for those of us living in Israel? If this was not Israel, this kind of action by the PM would be unbelievable!
Erekat: Olmert promised to remove W. Bank roadblocks
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reportedly promised Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to release in the coming days a list of major West Bank roadblocks that will be removed, a Palestinian negotiator said Saturday.
The negotiator, Saeb Erekat, spoke a day after an Israeli newspaper portrayed Israel's new defense minister, Ehud Barak, as being dismissive of Olmert's recent efforts to revive peace talks with the Palestinian.
The Yediot Ahronot daily on Friday quoted Barak as saying in private conversations that because of security concerns he does not intend to comply with Palestinian requests to remove checkpoints. Barak was quoted as saying Abbas is incapable of taking control of the West Bank and providing security there.
The paper also quoted Barak as calling recent peace moves with the Palestinians "fantasies" and saying Israel would not withdraw from the West Bank for at least five more years.
Erekat said Olmert gave specific assurances to Abbas in that meeting. Olmert told Abbas that "by next week, the defense minister will submit a whole list of major checkpoints to be removed in the West Bank, to enable the mobility of the Palestinians,"' Erekat said.
"We are taking the commitment of the prime minister seriously, and we are waiting to see deeds," Erekat said.
Israel argues the barriers are a crucial tool in preventing attacks on Israelis by Palestinian terrorists.
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