Olmert claims victory in Israeli election

updated 5:59 a.m. ET March 30, 2006

JERUSALEM - Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared victory for his centrist Kadima party in Israel’s elections Tuesday, vowing to act on his own if necessary to draw Israel’s final borders and “painfully” uproot Jewish settlers if negotiations with the Palestinians are not possible.

Standing below a massive portrait of his mentor Ariel Sharon, Olmert addressed chanting Kadima members after exit polls and media reports of early results predicted the party would have enough seats in parliament to form a ruling coalition.

With results in from 99 percent of the polling stations, Kadima was winning 28 seats, Labor 20 and Likud 11.

Building on the vision of Sharon, who formed the party shortly before succumbing to a devastating stroke that left him in a coma, Olmert claimed a mandate to withdraw from much of the West Bank and set Israel’s borders, which he has said he will do by 2010.

The turnout was the lowest in Israel’s history, and the results showed voters turning away from conventional political parties to an assortment of third parties with agendas ranging from pensioner rights to the legalization of marijuana. The aftermath will likely be a period of difficult negotiations between Olmert and potential coalition partners.

“Today, Israeli democracy has spoken its piece, in a loud and clear voice,” Olmert declared. “Israel wants Kadima,” which means forward in Hebrew.

Labor leader Amirt Peretz and Likud chief Benjamin Netanyahu called Olmert to congratulate him, as did British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

PM ready for new talks
Olmert said he was ready for new peace talks and was prepared to make painful compromises such as uprooting some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and allowing Palestinians to have a state. But he demanded that the Palestinians be willing to compromise in return.

“In the coming period, we will move to set the final borders of the state of Israel, a Jewish state with a Jewish majority,” Olmert said. “We will try to achieve this in an agreement with the Palestinians.”

Olmert has said he would govern only with parties that accept his program, and projections showed a center-left coalition capturing 61 to 65 seats in the 120-member parliament. The hawkish parties fell far short of their plan to win enough seats to block Olmert’s program.

As Israel held its election, the Palestinian parliament approved a new Cabinet led by the Hamas militant group. Incoming Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told Al-Jazeera television that he opposed Olmert’s plan. “Such a plan definitely won’t be accepted by the Palestinian people or the Palestinian government,” he said.

Abbas criticizes plan
At an Arab summit in Sudan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also criticized Olmert’s plan.

“The (election) results do not change anything unless Olmert changes his agenda and gives up his unilateral ideas,” he said.

However, Abbas’ allies called for immediately renewing talks on the internationally backed “road map” peace plan under the auspices of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which he heads.

Olmert has said he supports the road map but will not wait indefinitely for a peace deal and would move unilaterally after a reasonable period of time.

Turning to the Palestinians, Olmert said: “We are prepared to compromise, give up parts of our beloved land of Israel, remove, painfully, Jews who live there, to allow you the conditions to achieve your hopes and to live in a state in peace and quiet.”

“The time has come for the Palestinians ... to relate to the existence of the state of Israel, to accept only part of their dream, to stop terror, to accept democracy and accept compromise and peace with us,” he said.

Israeli officials have ruled out talks with Hamas unless the Islamic group renounces violence and accepts Israel’s right to exist, demands Hamas has so far rejected. It remains unclear whether Olmert would negotiate with Abbas without a change in Hamas’ position.

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