Olmert makes shady deals in the shadow of the Wall

Finally Ehud Olmert has pulled off a short term squalid political deal with ultra Orthodox head bangers Shamas that (according to Haaretz ), allows them to decide on support for West Bank evacuation plans when it is discussed. Shas will get 3 ministerial portfolios, and a pledged to increase child allowances - a key issue to Shas' blue collar voters.It is impossible to believe that the Pensioners Party will agree with any withdrawal, so the Labour / Kadima coalition is going to have a shaky ride.... but then have they ever intended to withdraw from the West Bank ?

Today Olmert banged through a Cabinet vote to re-route the obscene Wall around an area near the major settlement of Ariel (which has declared must always be sovereign territory) deep in the West Bank and approved putting temporary fencing around areas of Jerusalem abutting the West Bank. Surprisingly this will put thousands of Palestinians on the "Palestinian" side of the enclosure and stregthen the claim to sovereignty over Jerusalem.

"We must make a supreme effort to complete the security barrier wherever possible," Olmert told the ministers. "The decisions we take today will allow us to complete the construction of the fence very quickly in critical areas, and therefore improve our ability to thwart attempted attacks." i.e before the new Government gets sworn in on Thursday. Will it be legal ? Who cares?

Will the authors of the so-called Road Map approve this land grab ? Well, don't expect any squeals from the AIPAC cheerleaders , Contileezza, and her lover boy Jack the Lad Straw and certainly not from Dubya whose office is increasingly awash with Jewish members of the Jewish Lobby.... and you certainly won't hear a peep from any one in Congress or the Senate before the mid term elections, suggesting any criticism of Israel.

SFGate has a good article on the graffiti / art adorning the 30 foot high concrete wall
here and here and banksy here..look in "outdoors".