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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaking at the AIPAC policy conference in Washington on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Last update - 14:19 04/06/2008
Olmert to AIPAC: We must stop the Iranian threat
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: Olmert, Rice, Iran, AIPAC

The moment when Israel and the Palestinian Authority will have to make tough decisions is fast approaching, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference Tuesday.

"We must stop the Iranian threat by all possible means," he said.

"Each and every country must understand that the long-term cost of a nuclear Iran greatly outweighs the short-term benefits of doing business with Iran."
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Olmert is to meet Wednesday with U.S. President George W. Bush to discuss the Iranian nuclear program and upgrading security relations between the U.S. and Israel.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who also addressed the AIPAC conference in Washington Tuesday, stressed the urgency of establishing a Palestinian state, saying that the increase in violence in the Middle East makes the establishment of a peaceful Palestinian state more urgent rather than less.

That remark, however, was greeted with silence - though the secretary had been warmly greeted by the conference. AIPAC has been a leading skeptic regarding the current Palestinian leadership's ability to control terrorism should a state be established.

Rice said that while the present opportunity is not perfect by any means, it is better than any other in recent years, so it must be seized. "Israelis have waited too long for the security they desire and deserve," she said, "and Palestinians have waited too long, amid daily humiliations, for the dignity of a Palestinian state."

Regarding the Iranian issue, Rice said "We would be willing to meet with them, but not while they continue to inch closer to a nuclear weapon under the cover of talk."

"Our partners in Europe and beyond need to exploit Iran's vulnerabilities more vigorously and impose greater costs on the regime - economically, financially, politically and diplomatically," she added.

Rice also said the Palestinian track should take precedence over recently renewed Israel-Syria talks, though she stressed that the U.S. appreciated the efforts Turkey is making to mediate a peace between Israel and Syria.

Rice was scheduled to come to Israel next week. However, she has decided to cancel her trip, apparently in response to the political crisis in Israel.

Sources in Washington said Rice is concerned that the parties will not be able to reach an agreement before the end of the year, and there will be no possibility of creating continuity in the negotiations with the next American administration.

Meanwhile, in Rome, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Israel will cease to exist with or without Iran's involvement, while in Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni branded Iran a "neighborhood bully" that must be met with firmness.

Livni told a closed-door meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the international community must take decisive action on Iran and reiterated that military action was an option.

On Monday, Ahmadinejad had said in Tehran that the "satanic power" of the U.S. faced destruction, and that Israel would soon disappear from the map - a theme he returned to yesterday.

"This will happen whether we are involved in it or not," he said at a news conference at a UN food summit in Rome.

"The Iranian people are the most peace-loving nation in the world, but we believe that peace can be durable and meaningful only when it is based on justice," he added.

Livni told the Knesset committee that the international community must send a strong signal to Middle Eastern nations that are undecided on which camp to join. "The inability to build an international consensus against Iran will be interpreted in our region as weakness," an official present at the meeting quoted Livni as saying.

Referring to Iran as the "neighborhood bully," Livni said that making clear that the military option is on the table "may in the future mean it is less likely to be used."

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      1.   WE need to stop excessive infuence by a... 05:01  |  jc 04/06/08
      2.   Human shield volunteers 05:03  |  Natallie Durson 04/06/08
      3.   After all this time he has nothing better in his sleeve than beg? 05:52  |  Fortuna Benmayor 04/06/08
      4.   Like minded shields 06:06  |  PM 04/06/08
      5.   Olmert repeating Sharon`s "good" advice on Iraq 06:07  |  Tosefta 04/06/08
      6.   Well done Natallie!!! 06:23  |  Warren 04/06/08
      7.   Get Pollard Out 06:41  |  Yosemite 04/06/08
      8.   Neighborhood bully 07:00  |  amin 04/06/08
      9.   Bomb Iran 07:00  |  Rebel 04/06/08
      10.   1967 borders is the only way to stop the iranian threat 07:01  |  Aounist 04/06/08
      11.   pls go to iran natalie 07:09  |  earl jake 04/06/08
      12.   Oh yes, and there are no gay people in Iran 07:10  |  Dan 04/06/08
      13.   We Need A US Led Naval Blockade Now 07:11  |  Yosemite 04/06/08
      14.   Dignity 07:24  |  Boris 04/06/08
      15.   Iran is not a direct threat to Israel 08:19  |  MiddleStanian 04/06/08
      16.   Obama will negotiate with Iran 08:29  |  Adel 04/06/08
      17.   When is he coming back? 08:45  |  Dror 04/06/08
      18.   iranian threat 08:46  |  isaac 04/06/08
      19.   Aounist hardball vegetable salesman in the Souk 08:47  |  Dror 04/06/08
      20.   Iran is a direct threat to the world not only Israel 08:48  |  Genuine Tosefta 04/06/08
      21.   Dan, indeed there are no gay people in Iran, all were hanged 08:51  |  Genuine Tosefta 04/06/08
      22.   To No. 10 - Dream On 08:54  |  Khaled 04/06/08
      23.   Israel is the real neighborhood bully in the Middle East 09:07  |  Dutch 04/06/08
      24.   Logic Natalie, Use It 09:08  |  Brain 04/06/08
      25.   Please shut up Olmert ....... 09:14  |  Dolly 04/06/08
      26.   Iran all around us 09:15  |  Susan 04/06/08
      27.   Iran will fall 09:21  |  Susan 04/06/08
      28.   # 2 Natalie please wear a bulls eye t shirt 09:23  |  SJ 04/06/08
      29.   13 Yosemite - NO Naval Blockade 09:36  |  Mark of Lewiston 04/06/08
      30.   adel 16 09:43  |  Ursus Major 04/06/08
      31.   NEVER AGAIN! 09:54  |  Cyrus the Great 04/06/08
      32.   Send the AIPAC to fight your wars Israel. 09:57  |  Maureen Ann 04/06/08
      33.   olmert is correct. use ALL "possible" means 10:05  |  Iranian-American 04/06/08
      34.   ""the `satanic power` of the U.S. faces detruction" 10:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/06/08
      35.   WORLD IS READY TO LOVE ISRAEL ! ISRAEL DESERVES TO BE LOVED. 10:32  |  why not 04/06/08
      36.   Nobody`s interested in Israel`s views on Iran. 10:33  |  Michael 04/06/08
      37.   AT LEAST 100 TIMES AROUND THE WORLD, IGNORED BY DECENT EOPLE 10:40  |  indrajaya 04/06/08
      38.   Olmert is right!!! 10:51  |  Yael 04/06/08
      39.   TRANSLATION: SEND MORE AMERICAN TO DIE FOR ZIONISM 10:52  |  Olmert Translator 04/06/08
      40.   The AIPAC stranglehold may be loosened 11:14  |  Genuine Tosefta 04/06/08
      41.   will Obama negotiate 11:28  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 04/06/08
      42.   Actions speak louder than words! 11:32  |  Harvey (Chaim) 04/06/08
      43.   aounist michel aoun would advise us to be slaves 11:42  |  samir geagea 04/06/08
      44.   For all ahmadinajad`s tough talk 11:43  |  Denise Thompson 04/06/08
      45.   We can?t afford to wait : Time has come for action. 11:50  |  Jean Van Daem 04/06/08
      46.   Natallie is right as usual 11:55  |  Keith T. 04/06/08
      47.   KEITH T "Sucidal attitudes" Iran calls itself Nation of Martyrs 12:09  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      48.   As weak as america is right now 12:14  |  Dror 04/06/08
      49.   DURSON "peaceful sites"but they refuse to allow inspection 12:27  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      50.   INDRAJAYA Actually world powers have already talked sanctions 12:30  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      51.   Iran is the Hamas of the world 12:37  |  ScotGuy 04/06/08
      52.   "PEACEFUL" Iran sends weapons to kill US soldiers in Iraq 12:40  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      53.   "Rice stressed the urgency of establishing a Palestinian state" 12:41  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/06/08
      54.   Ignored IGNORANT @ 37 on who pays attention 12:41  |  Joe Moer 04/06/08
      55.   There is no threat from Iran 12:52  |  Marilyn 04/06/08
      56.   Natallie Durson (#2) Go Chain Yourself to a Nuclear Reactor 12:53  |  Gil 04/06/08
      57.   MAUREEN PALESTINE which country is that? 12:56  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      58.   MARLIN except for the proxy wars Iran is fighting 13:05  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      59.   Israel and Israelis make their move 13:05  |  Rachel Stevens 04/06/08
      60.   Aounist # 10 - - So Stupid...... 13:05  |  Dagma 04/06/08
      61.   TO NO 11. 13:08  |  DANNY. 04/06/08
      62.   #57 Peter SM 13:11  |  Maureen Ann 04/06/08
      63.   STEVENS you sure "yamucks" do not support Obama? 13:11  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      64.   PETER SM 57. Is there an Australian language then? 13:13  |  Michael 04/06/08
      65.   IT IS POSSIBLE TO STAND WITH LOVE. 13:18  |  atilla karagözoğlu 04/06/08
      66.   MAUREEN wrong! Palestine was rejected by the Arabs 13:28  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      67.   TO 41. 13:28  |  DANNY. 04/06/08
      68.   MICHAEL UK may I refer you to the CURRENT Palestinian covenant. 13:36  |  PETER SM 04/06/08
      69.   #63 Peter SM 13:39  |  Rachel Stevens