TEL AVIV, August 18, 2006 (WAFA)- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said this week that in view of the war in Lebanon and the significant damage caused to the residents of northern Israel, his convergence plan was no longer at the top of his government's agenda, the Israeli daily Haaretz said Friday.

It quoted Israeli Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) as saying that Olmert's convergence plan in the West Bank would not be carried out in the "near future."

He added however that Olmert's unilateral West Bank plan was not off his agenda altogether.

In conversations with ministers and senior members of his Kadima party this week, Olmert said that talk at this time about the convergence plan would not be "appropriate."

Olmert said it was impossible to ignore the Palestinian problem, but added that at this point in time, Israel and its government were facing the enormous challenge of rebuilding the North.

Sources in Kadima told Haaretz that Olmert's statements indicated that his ambitious plans for a broad, unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank would not be carried out - at least not in the foreseeable future,Haaretz said.

(22:14 P) (20:14 GMT)