"....Olmert heads to the United States next week to meet with President Bush. The two leaders will discuss how to use their evaporating political clout to secure a peace deal between Israel and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, how to neutralize Iran's nuclear program and whether Israel should engage Syrian President Bashar Assad in substantive negotiations.
"If indeed Syria and the Palestinians are at a crossroads, the fact that (Olmert) has so weakened himself may burn that option for Israel to seize that moment," said Ezrahi. "The opportunities for a negotiated settlement are so scarce that it is a real tragedy to waste so much energy and then have it foiled by the collapse of a corrupt prime minister."
If Olmert falls, then Israelis, much like Americans, are likely to spend this fall debating whether they want a fresh face looking to cut peace deals with Syria and the Palestinians, or a more hawkish leader...."
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