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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. (AP)
Last update - 00:08 09/03/2008
Olmert vows deterrence will be achieved against terror groups
By Barak Ravid and Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies
Tags: Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, speaking in his first response to the Thursday terrorist attack in Jerusalem, vowed Saturday that Israel would achieve deterrence against terror groups, as it has done against Hezbollah.

"As we achieved deterrence against Arab states and against Hezbollah, which for a year and a half has not dared to shoot even one missile, we will achieve deterrence against terrorist organizations," Olmert told an event celebrating International Women's Day in a Tel Aviv suburb.

"Those launching rockets and those involved in the shooting attack had the same purpose," Olmert said, referring to Gaza militants' rocket fire against communities in southern Israel.
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The prime minister continued: "The perpetrators of both intend to make our lives unbearable... This won't happen," he said, calling the shooting attack "horrible" and having been carried out "in cold blood."

"Israel will use both military and diplomatic tools to ensure its existence," Olmert pledged. He did not speak directly about the peace talks with the Palestinians.

Earlier on Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said peace efforts with Israel must move forward, despite an especially bloody spate of violence capped by a deadly attack on a Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

Abbas also reiterated his support for Egypt's efforts to mediate a truce between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

"Despite all the circumstances we're living through and all the attacks we're experiencing, we insist on peace. There is no other path," Abbas said in a speech also marking International Women's Day.

The Palestinian President stressed that the Gaza Strip should be politically reunited with the West Bank via dialogue, adding that Hamas "was a firm part of the Palestinian people despite the mistake they made."

Abbas urged the Islamic group to end its control of Gaza, which it wrested from his Fatah movement in a bloody coup in June 2007.

Israel has sent mixed signals since Thursday night's shooting, in which a Palestinian gunman burst into the prestigious Mercaz Harav seminary in Jerusalem and killed eight students, many of whom were studying religious texts in the building's library.

Officials have indicated a willingness to move ahead with peace talks with Abbas, launched last November at a U.S.-hosted summit in Annapolis, Maryland.

The sides hope to reach a final agreement by the end of the year. The Egyptian-backed truce efforts remain more cloudy, especially if it turns out that Hamas was behind the seminary shooting.

Abbas had earlier condemned the terror attack.

"President Mahmoud Abbas condemns the attack in Jerusalem that claimed the lives of many Israelis and he reiterated his condemnation of all attacks that target civilians, whether they are Palestinians or Israelis," said Abbas aide Saeb Erekat.

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      1.   wait till IDF response to the Yeshiva attack 20:55  |  vik 08/03/08
      2.   Abbas, must deal with racist-terrorists like Israeli govt & Hamas 21:21  |  anti-racist 08/03/08
      3.   no monolpoly on blame or suffering 22:22  |  gearoid 08/03/08
      4.   You`re drooling, Vik # 1 22:24  |  Clickfool 08/03/08
      5.   # 1 vik 22:44  |  Realistic Arab 08/03/08
      6.   Abbas demands new surrender terms - slow genocide is his plan. 22:44  |  Born In The USA 08/03/08
      7.   olmert you are as bad as arafat for israel 23:08  |  reuven 08/03/08
      8.   Olmert talks tough about deterrence 23:17  |  marcel 08/03/08
      9.   Olmert: the attack was cold-blooded 23:25  |  Javad 08/03/08
      10.   #2 Pro-racist conveniently omits bogus right of return 23:26  |  McQueen 08/03/08
      11.   No One Spill Muslim or Arab Blood and get away with it 23:31  |  BenBarood 08/03/08
      12.   To #2 23:36  |  A. J. Myers 08/03/08
      13.   Olmert vows deterrence will be achieved against terror groups 23:41  |  A. J. Myers 08/03/08
      14.   Without a clue 23:48  |  Mark Lincoln 08/03/08
      15.   Olmert bluffing cannot be trusted 23:51  |  david 08/03/08
      16.   has not dared to shoot even one missile. Fool you are Olmert! 23:55  |  Chris 08/03/08
      17.   Once Again Just Talk from Olmert 23:55  |  Gary 08/03/08
      18.   Yet another of Olmert`s promises that he will not fulfil. 23:55  |  Fairplay 08/03/08
      19.   more hot air balloons floating over israel 00:01  |  v hardman 09/03/08
      20.   Terror is almost entirely a product of the "peace process" 00:01  |  Chaim 09/03/08
      21.   Olmert - Big Talk , Little Action 00:04  |  Tod Zuckerman 09/03/08
      22.   The only real threat to the extremists of both sides... 00:34  |  Observer 09/03/08
      23.   #1: Revenge? And how many civilians will that include? 00:43  |  JJ 09/03/08
      24.   Deterance must be the top priority 01:03  |  Bobby the Jew 09/03/08
      25.   olmert`s talking created the monster! 01:06  |  Chris 09/03/08
      26.   Answer to #6 01:37  |  Boris 09/03/08
      27.   Olmert knows better 01:43  |  Bobby Peace 09/03/08
      28.   As many as it will take to deter the savages, JJ 01:46  |  A Jew 09/03/08
      29.   jj not one unless pal terrorists hide behind woman and children 01:51  |  ralph 09/03/08
      30.   jj not one unless pal terrorists hide behind woman and children 01:51  |  ralph 09/03/08
      31.   jj obvuously you read nothiing know nothing don`t let facts confu 01:52  |  ralph 09/03/08
      32.   #8, Wrong Chris: Israel created Hamas 02:08  |  JJ 09/03/08
      33.   #6 JJ 02:16  |  * BEN JABO 09/03/08
      34.   well everyone knows olmert is a liar and a fool: hudna only way 02:31  |  Assad-u-LLAH 09/03/08
      35.   To JJ: Unfortunately as many as it takes 02:33  |  Jim 09/03/08
      36.   JJ 02:43  |  lookmanoinitials 09/03/08
      37.   anti-racist 02:46  |  DAVID KAPLAN 09/03/08
      38.   Olmert will never create deterrence 02:46  |  Frank 09/03/08
      39.   Israelis-Arabs Are Radicalised , The Murderer Was Israeli-Arab 03:13  |  Joseph . E 09/03/08
      40.   # 1 vik You are full of hatred nothing else 03:18  |  Bobby 09/03/08
      41.   olmert 03:19  |  dave 09/03/08
      42.   Pali State won`t make any difference 03:40  |  Moishe Kadish 09/03/08
      43.   Olmert Your Failed Policys Killed Those Students 03:50  |  Dish It Out 09/03/08
      44.   If anyone notices Olmert doesn`t take blame for his failed policy 04:00  |  Kipperraes 09/03/08
      45.   No Peace in Olmert`s Time 04:12  |  Gary 09/03/08
      46.   Hey bobby 04:32  |  vik 09/03/08
      47.   Terrorists must not be deterred............. 04:37  |  bernard ross 09/03/08
      48.   Has Israel Already Lost? 04:50  |  Erich Scheinemann 09/03/08
      49.   # 48 Erich Scheinemann @ Dunkirk / Belgium 09:10  |  Joseph . E 09/03/08
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