STANDING FIRM ON JERUSALEM IS GOOD, BUT IT CAN'T BE JUST THAT

The Shas party has now announced that they will quit the government if Ehud Olmert agrees to divide Jerusalem for Dubya, but you know something? That's not enough. They have to stand firm on the issue of Judea and Samaria as well. For what if withdrawal from those places led to rockets being fired at Jerusalem as a result? Would they want that?

There's also something here about Shas' call for Jonathan Pollard to be released, that tells something interesting:

During US President George W. Bush's visit to Israel this week, Yishai plans to give him, via Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a letter from Shas spiritual leader and Israel's former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, appealing for freedom for Jonathan Pollard.

Yeshai did not say if he had confidence that Olmert would actually hand over the letter to Bush. It will be recalled that Olmert's predecessor Ariel Sharon, in February 2002, was given a letter on behalf of Pollard signed by 110 Knesset Members to give to Bush, but - it was later found out - never delivered it to its destination. Similarly a few months later, when Sharon met again with Bush in Washington, the issue of Pollard was not raised. Olmert, too, has been roundly criticized in the Pollard camp for all but ignoring him.

Rabbi Yosef's letter explains the importance of the concept and religious obligation of "freeing captives" in Jewish tradition, and the urgency of the Pollard case in particular.

One could probably argue that Sharon "forgot", but decidedly, it wouldn't be enough, or it'd be too easy. Sharon only showed weakness, and failed in responsibility, though not as much as when he withdrew from Gaza and enabled Hamas to fire rockets at Sderot.

See also this news.