Olmert: We Can Thwart Nuclear Threat

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert chose to devote most of his speech last night at the annual Herzliya security Conference to the Iranian threat.

“We refuse to be dragged into an atmosphere of collective self-intimidation,” he said. “We have a great deal of strength. We can withstand nuclear threats and thwart them.”

Olmert emphasized, “After the Holocaust, we will not live under an existential threat again.”

He added, “We have the right to full freedom of action in order to defend our vital interests. I do not suggest that anyone make the mistake of concluding that the restraint and responsibility we are displaying will undermine our determination and our ability to act when necessary. Our desire for peace should not be interpreted as weakness, but as a source of strength.

“The Iranian regime, in its aspiration for regional hegemony, bears the responsibility for the riots that Hezbollah is currently provoking in order to topple the regime in Lebanon.”

However, Olmert said reassuringly, “Israel does not face an imminent threat of nuclear attack. At the current stage, there is still a limited amount of time to halt the Iranian intentions of becoming a nuclear power that threatens all its rivals and first and foremost Israel.”

Olmert emphasized, however, that Israel will not lead the battle against the Iranian threat. He said that this threat should be handled primarily by the world powers and by other key countries.

“When a state leader officially and publicly announces the intention of his state to erase another state from the world map, and this state is manufacturing tools that will enable the fulfillment of the stated threat, no state has a right to deliberate over its position on the matter.”

President Steps Aside

Jerusalem – Moshe Katsav temporarily relinquished his powers as Israel’s president Thursday, but defied demands from officials to quit outright and spare the nation more anguish over rape and sexual assault allegations leveled against him.

The accusations have sent shock waves even in a country accustomed to seeing its leaders embroiled in scandal.

A parliamentary committee on Thursday narrowly approved Katsav’s request for a leave of absence of up to three months. Dozens of lawmakers, meanwhile, pressed ahead with a move to oust him. The difference between suspension and outright removal from office is that as long as Katsav is even technically president, he enjoys immunity from prosecution. AP

©The Bulletin 2007