BUT OLMERT IS NO SHARON:

New Poll Finds Majority of Israelis Support Talks with Hamas: A new poll in Israel says a majority of Israelis would support holding talks with Hamas Islamic militants who control the Gaza Strip. (Jim Teeple, 2/27/08, VOA News)

According to the poll that was commissioned by the left-of-center Haaretz newspaper, 64 percent of Israelis say their government should hold talks with Hamas militants - to end the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip and obtain the release of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas.