Overview

• Ehud Olmert told AFP that President Trump should publicly urge Prime Minister Netanyahu to halt the Gaza offensive, calling its continuation a crime
• He accused Netanyahu of placing personal and coalition survival ahead of national interests after spurning earlier ceasefire opportunities
• Olmert warned of the war’s devastating civilian toll, citing roughly 1,219 Israeli deaths and 54,880 Palestinian fatalities according to official tallies
• He said the United States wields unrivaled influence over Israeli policy through vetoes at the UN Security Council and billions in arms sales
• Alongside former Palestinian foreign minister Nasser Al-Qidwa, he unveiled a two-state plan featuring reciprocal 4.4 percent land swaps to revive peace talks