Güncelleme Tarihi:
The three-day visit may offer the embattled premier a brief respite from the turmoil at home where he faces a crescendo of calls for his resignation over suspicions he unlawfully obtained vast sums of money from a US financier.
But Monday’s trip may well be his last as premier to
Olmert, 62, suffered two massive blows in quick succession this week when key coalition ally Defense Minister Ehud Barak demanded he quit and the cabinet number two, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, challenged his party leadership.
With the prospect of early elections growing daily, Olmert’s working visit is seen by many as his farewell from US President George W. Bush, whose hopes of seeing an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal this year appear to be fading fast.
For Bush, who called Olmert an "honest man" when news of the graft allegations emerged in early May, the premier’s potential demise threatens to shatter a major pillar of a Middle East strategy he hoped would be his legacy.
Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas pledged to try to reach a deal before Bush leaves the White House in January 2009 at the launching of the new peace talks at in
Despite heavy
"It is obvious that there is no chance of reaching any agreement this year because Olmert is going. All the talks will be literally frozen for nearly a year," one senior Israeli official said on condition of anonymity.
A senior
"We are aware of the domestic political situation, but in terms of the foreign policy we are pursuing, the peace process remains as is," he told AFP.
Olmert’s aides insist that it is business as usual in his office.
"The prime minister is focused on his agenda. He firmly believes that he will be exonerated as the investigation moves forward," a senior official said.
Other than the Palestinian track, Olmert will brief Bush on the indirect Turkish-mediated peace talks with
The move raised eyebrows in the
The
"It is
Olmert was also expected to discuss a military aid package that Bush offered during his visit to Israel earlier in May honoring 60 years of independence.
The package, aimed at countering the Iranian threat, includes a missile early warning system and advanced stealth fighter jets, the
In recent months
Widely seen as the region's sole if undeclared nuclear power,
During his visit, Olmert is also expected to meet US presidential hopefuls, a senior Israeli government official said.