Olmert, speaking at an industrial conference Wednesday, thus confirmed the warnings of many of the plan's opponents.
Minister Olmert, who termed those supportive of the Gaza expulsion/withdrawal plan the "realists," said that the plan's supporters all agree "that the withdrawal proposed presently is but the first part of a process that will require further withdrawals."
Olmert also dismissed the opinion that the disengagement should be postponed due to Yasser Arafat's death, which has brought about calls for Israel to attempt to reopen negotiations with the PA leadership. He said that Israel would not let itself become "hostage" to the existence of a negotiating partner from the PA.
Minister Olmert's words are widely viewed to be "test-balloons" through which Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gauges the public response to a planned policy shift. A year ago, for example, Olmert became first member of Sharon's government to call for a withdrawal from Gaza. This was the party leadership's first break with the party platform that opposed the unilateral Gaza withdrawal advocated by the Labor Party during the last elections.
Olmert's remarks confirm that which other Sharon associates have been saying. Former Herzliya Mayor Eli Landau told the Arutz-7 newsmagazine two months ago that Sharon's withdrawal plan "would eventually take Israel all the way back to the anti-terrorism partition fence."
Landau said he would not call it a full withdrawal to the '67 borders, "because the fence will include the city of Ariel, the Kedumim bloc, Maaleh Adumim and the Etzion bloc surrounding Jerusalem." He said, however, that by the end of Sharon's plan, Israel will have withdrawn from all areas outside the partition. "Arik is building a wall, there is a wall, and in the end we will be standing in front of it," Landau said.
Minister Olmert, who termed those supportive of the Gaza expulsion/withdrawal plan the "realists," said that the plan's supporters all agree "that the withdrawal proposed presently is but the first part of a process that will require further withdrawals."
Olmert also dismissed the opinion that the disengagement should be postponed due to Yasser Arafat's death, which has brought about calls for Israel to attempt to reopen negotiations with the PA leadership. He said that Israel would not let itself become "hostage" to the existence of a negotiating partner from the PA.
Minister Olmert's words are widely viewed to be "test-balloons" through which Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gauges the public response to a planned policy shift. A year ago, for example, Olmert became first member of Sharon's government to call for a withdrawal from Gaza. This was the party leadership's first break with the party platform that opposed the unilateral Gaza withdrawal advocated by the Labor Party during the last elections.
Olmert's remarks confirm that which other Sharon associates have been saying. Former Herzliya Mayor Eli Landau told the Arutz-7 newsmagazine two months ago that Sharon's withdrawal plan "would eventually take Israel all the way back to the anti-terrorism partition fence."
Landau said he would not call it a full withdrawal to the '67 borders, "because the fence will include the city of Ariel, the Kedumim bloc, Maaleh Adumim and the Etzion bloc surrounding Jerusalem." He said, however, that by the end of Sharon's plan, Israel will have withdrawn from all areas outside the partition. "Arik is building a wall, there is a wall, and in the end we will be standing in front of it," Landau said.