The Israeli and Palestinian Authority prime ministers were among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. Ehud Olmert and Ismail Haniyeh were among politicians listed in “The People Who Shape the World” section of the latest Time. But the accompanying personality profiles were dramatically different in tone. Contributor Zev Chafets described Olmert as “probably the best politician” to occupy the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, a national leader who seeks to create “a modern, democratic society.” By contrast, Haniyeh, the most senior Hamas politician, was given a circumspect write-up by veteran U.S. diplomat Dennis Ross. “Nowhere in his statements is there a place for peace with Israel,” Ross wrote. “Which means that even the illusion of peacemaking is over.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.