Olmert: I okayed arms transfer to Abbas
During London visit, prime minister tells British parliament ‘Israel will never agree to pull out of all territories, because 1967 borders are indefensible’; says he views problem of capital solvable: Jews pray daily facing Jerusalem, but not its Palestinian neighborhoods
LONDON - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said during his speech before the British parliament in London on Tuesday, “Israel will never agree to pull out of all the territories, because the borders of 1967 are indefensible.”
Turning his attention to the realignment plan, Olmert noted that, contrary to what might be claimed, the plan had no “Zionist” connections: I have the true and frank desire here to give a lot and get a little, he said. The realignment plan will only be carried out if serious and real efforts to negotiate are exhausted, he added.
Prime minister with British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett (Photo: GPO)
The prime minister added that in recent days, some 60 Qassam rockets were fired at Sderot and the surrounding area with the intention of hitting civilians. While we are talking about negotiations towards peace, while I am offering humanitarian steps to the Palestinian population, they are firing on Sderot to hit and kill our children, Olmert said.
Olmert distinguished negotiations as being comprised of two levels of talks: there is the political level and then there is the reality level, “in which we have to ask ourselves, are these people that are shooting at each other, burning their prime minister’s office, supporting terrorism, being funded by Hamas and Hizbullah, can they be trusted to base the future on?”
We don’t know the final answer, Olmert said, but we know what we want: to do something that hasn’t yet been done to advance a solution in the region.
The prime minister told UK lawmakers he approved the transfer of weapons and ammunition to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to assist the leader in his ongoing internal battle with Hamas.
"I could have postponed this but I did this in order to help Abu Mazen against Hamas, because we don't have any time," Olmert told members of the British parliament.
‘Jerusalem problem solvable’
Regarding the capital, Olmert said that Jews had been praying for 2000 years, three times a day, facing east towards Jerusalem – a city filled with Jewish memories and history. “But with that, we don’t pray facing Beit Naballah or Issawiya, or any of the other Palestinian neighborhoods that have been added to Jerusalem by someone who drew a map one day. Therefore, I believe there is a solution to the problem of Jerusalem, and it will demand a lot of patience and intelligence, which admittedly we aren’t always blessed with, but we can make use of,” Olmert said in his speech.
He reminded British lawmakers of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s legacy. “He worked to carry out the disengagement, and what I learned from him I plan to carry out in the plan to realign Jewish settlements into settlement blocs while leaving most of the land for Palestinians to establish a state,” Olmert said.
UK press conflicting on Olmert visit
The Times of London said in an editorial that Blair may raise Arab fury due to his support of Olmert’s plan, while the Independent said the British PM was encouraging the Palestinians to continue talks with Israel.
Olmert is scheduled to leave for Paris Tuesday night, where he is scheduled to meet with President Jacques Chirac.
