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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (File)
Last update - 00:03 15/01/2008
PM says he opposes major IDF offensive in Gaza for time being
By Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Palestinian state, Olmert 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that he opposed a broad Israel Defense Forces offensive in the Gaza Strip for the time being, despite the ongoing Qassam rocket attacks on the Negev.

Olmert said that he "very much recommends that we not get ourselves embroiled in operations and in [paying] prices that are disproportionate to the constraints we are dealing with."

The prime minister added that he did not wish to minimize the distress caused by Qassam rocket attacks on Sderot and the western Negev. "If we believe that we should do more, we will do more, but there is no need to inflame ourselves."
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Speaking to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Commitee, Olmert said of the embattled Strip, "There's a war there, and Israel is conducting [it] with wisdom. Hundreds of dead in Gaza this year among terror organizations is not an insignificant price for the terrorist groups.

According to Olmert, "the public is no fool. It recalls that in recent years, 2007 was the year with the lowest number of [Israeli] casualties of terrorism."

Olmert calls for a contiguous Palestinian state
Olmert mentioned his support for a contiguous future Palestinian, saying that he sees the need for "two states - one Jewish and one Palestinian, and not three states - one Jewish and two Palestinian."

Olmert stated that security arrangements called for under the road map for Middle East peace must be applied to the Gaza Strip as well. He added that future negotiations on core issues would be conducted together with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and that the issues would be covered as a whole instead of by separate committees.

The issue of smuggling on the Egypt-Gaza border and the policing of the border by Egypt also came up during the meeting, with Olmert saying that he had "no desire" to fight with Egypt over the issue, or to criticize Cairo in a public manner.

"I think that sometimes it's better to show restraint in making public statements. There are definitely areas that need improvement, and we will handle these issues directly with Egypt."

A spokesperson at Olmert's office denied that his statements were a veiled criticism of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's recent public statements that criticized the effectiveness of Egyptian anti-smuggling efforts.

Olmert also said during the meeting that he had told President George Bush that Israel could not reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran, and that the government is "ruling out no options in advance" in barring Tehran from obtaining atomic weaponry.

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      1.   Israel preparing to use Nuclear Weapons 13:00  |  Paul Wood 14/01/08
      2.   Now what do you think it`ll be? 13:07  |  sh 14/01/08
      3.   Olmert acts Goliath and then breaks his promises 13:18  |  Fairplay 14/01/08
      4.   #2 sh 13:19  |  Paul Wood 14/01/08
      5.   Iran will become Nuclear Power: Fait-Accompli 13:21  |  Hani 14/01/08
      6.   Driving us to WW III 13:22  |  Didier Spaier 14/01/08
      7.   Bomb Iranian nukes now ! 13:31  |  Vitaly 14/01/08
      8.   An Israeli PM striking full peace deal with PAL?s 13:36  |  Adel 14/01/08
      9.   Not going to happen 13:40  |  Natallie Durson 14/01/08
      10.   They are really nervous now - the palestinian / iranian apologist 13:44  |  Johnny 14/01/08
      11.   Did Olmert use the word "weaponry"? 13:49  |  Rowan Berkeley 14/01/08
      12.   Dangerous gnome Olmert to lunatic asylum immediately 13:53  |  H.H.M 14/01/08
      13.   #1 14:01  |  Mark 14/01/08
      14.   To #9 - Oh Nataboohoo, time to get real !!! 14:11  |  Yossi 14/01/08
      15.   #10 Johnny of Stockholm 14:12  |  Paul Wood 14/01/08
      16.   # 9. Natallie. "Plenty of blue sky"! True...but. 14:17  |  Stephen. 14/01/08
      17.   #13 Mark 14:21  |  Paul Wood 14/01/08
      18.   olmert talks touigh on iran 14:25  |  marcel 14/01/08
      19.   # 16 Stephen 14:48  |  Natallie Durson 14/01/08
      20.   olmert will do nothing and has a gov. that is incapable 15:03  |  get real 14/01/08
      21.   Paul wood 15:12  |  jon 14/01/08
      22.   A Paper Tiger miaows 15:27  |  Clickfool 14/01/08
      23.   No underestimating the criminality of the Crime Syndicate!If they 15:29  |  lakshmi 14/01/08
      24.   21. little jon jon doesn`t want to grow up and be big jon? 15:30  |  look here kid 14/01/08
      25.   #21 Jon 15:41  |  Paul Wood 14/01/08
      26.   #24 Keep Dreaming Kid 15:50  |  mrrad 14/01/08
      27.   #19 Natallie. There is some proof....read on.. 15:54  |  Stephen. 14/01/08
      28.   big surprise!! olmert decides to do nothing 15:56  |  nothing from nothing 14/01/08
      29.   #8 AND THE BENEFIT TO ISRAEL IS ??? 15:58  |  v hardman 14/01/08
      30.   Amongst all your comments here... 16:04  |  JP 14/01/08
      31.   Paul Wood agian 16:11  |  Jon 14/01/08
      32.   #13 Mark 16:17  |  Paul Wood 14/01/08
      33.   #22 16:19  |  Moshe 14/01/08
      34.   Let`s Look At The Numbers 16:30  |  Cool B 14/01/08
      35.   Olmert doesn`t get it 16:33  |  leo 14/01/08
      36.   three palestinian states 16:34  |  marcel 14/01/08
      37.   #27 16:35  |  Moshe 14/01/08
      38.   33. i think we did this moshe but ok you didn`t get it first time 16:39  |  play it again sam 14/01/08
      39.   Olmert Prefers Trench Warfare 17:07  |  Tony Anthony 14/01/08
      40.   Clickfool #22 Is FAKE Clickfool 17:15  |  Clickfool 14/01/08
      41.   Nutalie # 9 Would you RATHER them go to war? 17:18  |  The Equalizer 14/01/08
      42.   39. in case you haven`t noticed the other side has several good 17:21  |  look again 14/01/08
      43.   Inflicting a Genocide/Holocaust on Gaza`s Arabs promotes Peace in 17:30  |  Genuine Tosefta 14/01/08
      44.   Watch out, the Fake`s about.....# 40 17:37  |  Clickfool 14/01/08
      45.   43. fake tosflta advokes genocide in gaza 17:42  |  end of zion 14/01/08
      46.   no stephen,the vietnam war was not about oil 17:44  |  terrornator 14/01/08
      47.   stephen,the U.S. didn`t hasten the departure of the french 17:47  |  terrornator 14/01/08
      48.   An Israel-Based Iran Analyst" 17:47  |  Clickfool 14/01/08
      49.   #40 17:52  |  Moshe 14/01/08
      50.   Haaretz Responsabilities 17:52  |  Ben - Africa 14/01/08
      51.   Olmert is not my favorite,but this time correct 17:57  |  TOMY 14/01/08
      52.   To Fake Clickfool #44 18:01  |  Larry D 14/01/08
      53.   i am constantly amazed how smart jews tell us they are but can`t 18:05  |  come up 14/01/08
      54.   pals shoah may also never be forgotten 18:11  |  bozhidar balkas bozh 14/01/08
      55.   When will Olmert sign up for PA passport? 18:21  |  Jon 14/01/08
      56.   he needs the troops for onslaught on jewish settlers 18:22  |  chaim 14/01/08
      57.   Olmert against invading Gaza 18:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 14/01/08
      58.   Fake Clickfool 18:32  |  H 14/01/08
      59.   ISRAEL TO DELAY BUTCHERY 18:32  |  JH 14/01/08
      60.   For H, on Fake Clickfool # 58 18:48  |  Clickfool 14/01/08
      61.   "Contigious"=Israel cut in two by pal "corridor" WB-Gaza 19:02  |  Absolute Sweden 14/01/08
      62.   #60 Clickfool 19:04  |  Chris Linthwaite 14/01/08
      63.   All Olmert is saying: No major action in Gaza for now 19:33  |  GPS 14/01/08
      64.   For Chris Linthwaite on Fake Clickfools # 62 19:36  |  Clickfool 14/01/08
      65.   Olmert is AMERICA`S REPRESENTATIVE for PA Muslims 19:37  |  Linda Rivera 14/01/08
      66.   #48 - you sound scared. 19:39  |  GPS 14/01/08
      67.   #44,45 The world will not be able to stop Arabs` genocide in Gaza 19:39  |  Genuine Tosefta 14/01/08
      68.   U.S./EU/UN Global Islam Must be CELEBRATING their Success 19:53  |  Linda Rivera 14/01/08
      69.   it`s only political he is scared of his future 19:54  |  dovdevan 14/01/08
      70.   The WICKED LIE of Occupation. Return STOLEN Jewish Land! 19:55  |  Linda Rivera 14/01/08
      71.