Israeli President Moshe Katsav formally chose acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday to form Israel’s next government, and Olmert said he would quickly put together a coalition committed to carrying out his
West Bank withdrawal plan. During the campaign, Olmert said he planned to pull Israel out of much of the West Bank, while strengthening its control of major settlement blocs and drawing the country’s final borders by 2010. The withdrawal will be part of the new government’s written program, Olmert said. Full Story
