A CONVERSATION WITH EHUD OLMERT

After this past summer's controversial war in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has lower poll numbers than President Bush. Olmert, who will meet with Bush in Washington this week, spoke with Newsweek-Washington Post's Lally Weymouth about the Middle East, Iran and the prospect of a U.S. pullout from Iraq.

What are you going to say to President Bush? Last year you told him you had a vision -- your convergence plan, which was to withdraw from large parts of the West Bank. Do you have a vision today?

The convergence plan was a vehicle to accomplish a vision shared by both President Bush and myself. This is a two-state solution. Before the war, I told the Israeli public that the first step I would take is to try to establish a credible process of negotiations, on the basis of the road map, with the legitimate Palestinian leadership. If that didn't work, then we would try [unilateral] realignment.

But after the war in Lebanon, you said the convergence plan was on hold.

After the fighting in Lebanon, and also the failure of the Palestinians to cope with continued terrorist actions, I have second thoughts about the ability to accomplish the two-state solution through realignment. It is definitely not dead but it has to be reexamined. One thing I can promise: Under no circumstances am I going to withdraw from the need to engage in a serious dialogue with the Palestinians, toward the implementation of the vision which I share with President Bush. The Palestinian issue is on the agenda. There is no way we can ignore it or that we would want to ignore it. We have to find the best partner to do it. A lot depends on the Palestinian leadership.

How do you feel about Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] as a partner?

He personally has shown consistently his opposition to terror and his discomfort with Hamas techniques. But it is incumbent upon him to do more than just say how uncomfortable he is with Hamas. He hasn't yet shown enough determination and inner strength to put down this government of terrorists and to reduce the influence of [Hamas leader] Khaled Mashal, who controls the officials of the Palestinian government from Damascus.

How do you feel about Abu Mazen entering into a unity government with Hamas?

Such a government can be measured by one criterion: Do they accept actively -- not just in theory -- the principles of the Quartet? If Hamas will formally accept these principles -- which are to recognize Israel's right to exist, to end all terror and hostile activities against Israel and to recognize and implement all the agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority -- then I'll be ready to sit down with such a government even if it includes Hamas representatives.

So you don't have much hope that there's a partner you can engage with and you're not sure about the unilateral realignment plan you proposed last year. Do you have another idea?

I'm very encouraged by some developments that have taken place lately. The fighting in Lebanon made it much clearer that there are some shared interests between Israel and some of the more moderate Arab countries. We have very friendly relations with Jordan and with Egypt. As of late, I'm very impressed with the performance and policies carried out by the King of Saudi Arabia. And the leaders of the [United Arab] Emirates. One can feel that there is a broader examination of the region and also maybe a better understanding of some of the constraints Israel has to deal with. And also a realization that at the end of the day, Iran and the axis of evil made by Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas is of greater danger not only to Israel but to some moderate Arab countries.

What are you referring to with regard to Saudi Arabia and the Emirates?