Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that peace with Syria would mean giving up the Golan Heights, seized by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed in 1981.

"The whole world knows that in any future negotiations, if they are renewed, we will have to give up on the entire Golan Heights," Olmert said during a heated exchange with oppposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud).

Netanyahu had reacted angrily to Olmert's assertion that three of his predeccessors, Netanyahu included, had held talks with Syria on a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

	Advertisement

Olmert told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that, according to documents, the prime ministers from 1993 to 2001 (a reference to Yitzhak Rabin, Netanyahu and Ehud Barak) - had all held negotiations with Syria during which it had been clear that any agreement would entail Israel completely ceding the Golan and withdrawing to the 1967 border.

But Netanyahu interrupted Olmert's remarks, saying, "You know that's not right."

"You know it's true," replied Olmert. "Don't try to hide the truth."

Later in the discussion, the prime minister reiterated his opposition to negotiations with Damascus, on the grounds "Syria is interested in the industry of peace, rather than real peace."

Olmert: Netanyahu gave life to Hamas
Olmert also told the committee that it was during Netanyahu who had given life to Hamas during his tenure as prime minister.

"Netanyahu established Hamas, gave it life, freed Sheikh Yassin and gave him the option to blossom," he said, adding that the current political in the Palestinian Authority was "because of the nonsense that was done while Netanyahu was prime minister."

He was referring to Netanyahu's release of jailed Hamas founder and mentor Ahmed Yassin in 1997 - a move to mollify Jordan after Israeli agents mounted, and botched, an attempt on the life of Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshal in Amman.

In response to Olmert's comments, Netanyahu said "This is a failed government, and there is only one thing it must do and that is to go home."

Speaking at a Likud faction meeting, the opposition leader added that Olmert had apparently not learned anything from his tenure in government and was trying to cover up his own failures with empty accusations.

"We know it was the same prime minister that let Hamas hold elections in Jerusalem and allows it now to receive money and break the barriers of its isolation. He cannot stand up to these things and has been exposed in his lack of leadership," Netanyahu said.