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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert shaking hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. (Archives)
Last update - 01:04 30/10/2006
PM expresses regret to Merkel over IAF incident in S. Lebanon
By Aluf Benn and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday expressed his regret to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the incident on Tuesday in which Israel Air Force jets were scrambled towards a German army helicopter flying in Southern Lebanon.

Olmert told his German counterpart in a phone call conversation that Israel saw Germany's contribution to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon as vitally important.

Earlier, the prime minister met in Jerusalem with a delegation of Bundestag members from Merkel's Christian-Democratic party. During their meeting, Olmert briefed the German visitors on the incident, expressed his regret and emphasized the importance Israel sees in cooperating with UNIFIL.

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He added that from now on Israel Defense Forces will open direct channels of communication with the German contingent in UNIFIL to make sure such incidents do not recur.

On Tuesday, German press reported that IAF planes had fired twice on German naval battleships off the coast of Lebanon. The IDF denied the reports, but confirmed that planes had been scrambled towards the ship and released flares which may have been misconstrued as missiles.

An IDF spokesperson said the planes approached the ship because a German helicopter flying in the area failed to report its movements according to prior agreements with Israel.

On Friday, Germany's Bild-Zeitung newspaper reported a second case in which IAF planes approached a German army helicopter in southern Lebanon.

In the wake of the incidents, Germany's Defense Minister, Franz Josef Jung, plans to visit the Middle East on Friday to meet with his Israeli counterpart, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and with Lebanese Prime Minister, Fuad Siniora.

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Carpenters of Nazareth
At an Upper Nazareth mall, retirees are offered the chance to work for a pay check.
In their defense
The Defense Ministry wants to pay off its property tax debt directly to the state.
  1.   you think she believed him ? 23:57  |  flimflam 29/10/06
  2.   Helicopters anyone? 00:36  |  angiolillo 30/10/06
  3.   the damage is already done 00:55  |  Axel 30/10/06
  4.   Helicopters anyone? 01:01  |  miriam 30/10/06
  5.   Unbelievable 01:12  |  Abe 30/10/06
  6.   Body language 01:49  |  Pablo B 30/10/06
  7.   It is clear that the IAF is trying very hard 02:57  |  Mark Lincoln 30/10/06
  8.   Remember the USS Liberty 02:58  |  westindian 30/10/06
  9.   Anyone care to explain the policy 03:00  |  Mark Lincoln 30/10/06
  10.   No Mark, there is method in their madness 03:55  |  Johnboy 30/10/06
  11.   Why do anti-Semites and anti-Israelis read Haaretz? 04:09  |  Peter Burman 30/10/06
  12.   Responses by #7 and 9: pure nonsense 04:23  |  Ariel 30/10/06
  13.   Why read Haaretz? 04:33  |  angiolillo 30/10/06
  14.   She has more testosterone in her pinky.... 04:42  |  dave 30/10/06
  15.   Peter Burman thinks we all hate Jews 04:48  |  Johnboy 30/10/06
  16.   #11 05:08  |  Matt 30/10/06
  17.   Being Critical Does Not Equate to Anti-Semitism 05:14  |  chet 30/10/06
  18.   Silence from the US on this matter is Deafening 05:20  |  Pablo B 30/10/06
  19.   Gonna have to go with Burman on this one 05:25  |  Mick 30/10/06
  20.   Arial, you don`t understand, do you? 05:34  |  Johnboy 30/10/06
  21.   The fun goes on 05:34  |  Alan 30/10/06
  22.   Israel Hater? Yes! Anti-Semite? No! 06:04  |  YesWeHaveNoBananas 30/10/06
  23.   Yeah Whatever. 06:16  |  Paulo 30/10/06
  24.   Mark Lincoln 06:18  |  DAVID KAPLAN 30/10/06
  25.   To no. 11 06:27  |  DAVID KAPLAN 30/10/06
  26.   THEY are opening a channel to prevent repetition. 06:39  |  PETER. S.M 30/10/06
  27.   if you go on a date, do you bring in your aunt with you ? 06:40  |  zayyin ba ayin 30/10/06
  28.   To Mark Lincoln nos. 7 and 9 06:50  |  Colin Wright 30/10/06
  29.   #7,#9, Mark Lincoln 06:56  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/10/06
  30.   none of you "hate Israel", only would like to see her 07:04  |  zayyin ba ayin 30/10/06
  31.   To Mick, Burman, KAPLAN, et al, et al (I) 07:04  |  Colin Wright 30/10/06
  32.   INTERESTING.The selective humanitarians hate Israel.No probs with 07:12  |  PETER SM 30/10/06
  33.   PABLO B.Maybe it is not as big a deal as you people make out. 07:24  |  PETER SM 30/10/06
  34.   @zba `27 08:13  |  Alam 30/10/06
  35.   #26 PETER SM, of course they are... 08:30  |  Johnboy 30/10/06
  36.   JOHNBOY If everyone is "watching " then the `message" irrelevant 09:02  |  PETER SM 30/10/06
  37.   If you hate Israel you are just venting bile.Your "advice"=0 09:29  |  PETER. S.M 30/10/06
  38.   Important Subject 09:56  |  Fritz 30/10/06
  39.   Olmert lies to Merkel 10:12  |  raymond deane 30/10/06
  40.   Ariel 10:18  |  Jasmine Murphy 30/10/06
  41.   We all hate Jews? 10:36  |  Stef 30/10/06
  42.   #40, Jasmine Murphy 10:48  |  Fritz 30/10/06
  43.   Axel and everyone else... 10:49  |  david 30/10/06
  44.   the true loonies 10:55  |  Ari D 30/10/06
  45.   It`s A Sensitive Issue! That`s For Sure! So... 11:01  |  Yosemite Sam 30/10/06
  46.   re: Peter SM #32 11:11  |  Paulo 30/10/06
  47.   bla,bla,bla, 11:14  |  jean marie 30/10/06
  48.   Ari D : a true loony 11:22  |  Jasmine Murphy 30/10/06
  49.   R.DEANNE "Olmert lies to Merkel" your evidence? 11:29  |  PETER SM 30/10/06
  50.   KILLING OF A CHINESE, FINN. AUSTRIAN and CANADIAN were not enough 11:43  |  Marco 30/10/06
  51.   PAULO.MY "usual anti-semitic line"??Where? A quote please 11:48  |  PETER SM 30/10/06
  52.   Anti-semites seem to love Haaretz. 11:49  |  Zuriel 30/10/06
  53.   Peter,i apologize. 12:04  |  Zuriel 30/10/06
  54.   #36 PETER SM you really are guileless, aren`t you? 13:06  |  Johnboy 30/10/06
  55.   Dear Jasmine... 13:06  |  Ari D 30/10/06
  56.   Zuriel 13:18  |  Ari D 30/10/06
  57.   About the Emperor’s new Clothes 13:27  |  Jonathan S 30/10/06
  58.   @54 Johnboy 14:15  |  Alan 30/10/06
  59.   Stupid Policies 14:54  |  Yonni 30/10/06
  60.   Stupid Policies 14:59  |  Yonni 30/10/06
  61.   Jonathan, schmock, see a doctor! 15:11  |  Ari D 30/10/06
  62.   Jonathan S 15:34  |  George 30/10/06
  63.   David #43 16:10  |  Ari D 30/10/06
  64.   #11, most of us reading HAARETZ,because 16:11  |  The keen Observer 30/10/06
  65.   #42, FRIT to Jasmin.............. 16:29  |  The observer 30/10/06
  66.   The haters miss the point... again 17:03  |  Mick 30/10/06
  67.   after "Johnboy": "They have delivered their msg to the Germans,." 17:35  |  zayyin ba ayin 30/10/06
  68.   here is Deutsche Welle headline for Oct 15 - still posted intact 17:51  |  zayyin ba ayin 30/10/06
  69.   YesWeHaveNoBananas 18:02  |  Mick 30/10/06
  70.   To Mick about the haters #59 18:41  |  Jonathan S 30/10/06
  71.   #61 19:15  |  Ari D 30/10/06
  72.   I`m in agreement re Ha`aretz by Jonathan S, and ... 22:29  |  zayyin ba ayin 30/10/06
  73.   #60 Peretz`s message to the Germans 23:07  |  Johnboy 30/10/06
  74.   "Johnboy" : so early in the AM in Sidney, Aus and your nose ... 23:58  |  zayyin ba ayin 30/10/06
  75.   Everything is getting mixed up here, #71 refers to #66, not #61 00:46  |  Ari D 31/10/06
  76.   after "Johnboy-Hezbo won that war" : your new namesake... 01:16  |  zayyin ba ayin 31/10/06
  77.   lack of competence 10:36  |  psychologist 31/10/06
  78.   zayyin, I`ll try and get past the censors again 13:18  |  Johnboy 31/10/06