JERUSALEM — Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert took a rare public jab at his successor Thursday, saying Israel should agree to the U.S. demand to halt settlement construction in the West Bank in order to restart Mideast peace talks.
Olmert suggested the current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Obama administration are wasting valuable time by focusing on such a “marginal” issue, rather than tackling the essential issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
President Barack Obama has asked for a new three-month moratorium on settlement construction after a 10-month slowdown expired in September, leading peace negotiations to stall. Palestinians say they will not talk unless a freeze is in place.
Olmert, who resigned two years ago to face corruption charges, has largely kept a low profile.
