Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced his resignation Wednesday, months after becoming the target of two corruption investigations. Olmert will remain prime minister until September 17, when his Kadima party will hold an election to choose a new leader. Palestinian legislator Mustafa Barghouthi predicted Olmert’s resignation will mark the end of the Annapolis peace talks.

Mustafa Barghouthi: “He shot Annapolis yesterday, when he declared that there is no possibility of reaching an agreement by the end of the year. He destroyed Annapolis by declaring that Jerusalem is not part of the discussion. And today, by this resignation, probably he’s providing the ammunition to kill finally the Annapolis process completely…Olmert is finishing with failures, but his biggest failure is that he has proven that, up ’til, now there is no partner for peace in Israel.”

Ehud Olmert has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection to the corruption claims that he received cash-stuffed envelopes from a US businessman.