Just before his trip to Germany, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
admitted “when his tongue slipped” that Israel has nuclear weapons.
Olmert stated that “Iran wants to possess nuclear weapons like the US,
France, Israel and Russia”.
The statements of Olmert came in an interview with the German TV station Sat. 1, ahead of his first visit to Germany since he became Prime Minister, the Israeli Ynetnews reported.
Israeli officials at Olmert's office attempted damage control, and said that Olmert was referring to the fundamental issue of Iran possessing nuclear weapons, and that he did not violate the ambiguousness policy of Israel “by admitting that Israel possesses nuclear weapons.
Olmert also said that Germany should cut its ties with Iran, adding that “Germany has greater obligations because of its Nazi past”, the Ynetnews added.
He called for more dramatic acts against Iran but ruled out Israeli military attack against Tehran.
When Olmert was asked about the nuclear power of Israel, he cut the interviewer off and said “You can go to the US Secretary of Defense and ask him about that”.
He also said that Israel does not threaten and country with “anything”, adding that “unlike Iran, we don't threaten anyone, but they threaten to wipe Israel off the map”.
Regarding the nuclear power of the US, France, Russia and the UK, Olmert said that those countries do not threaten the foundations of the world, and do not threaten to annihilate other countries.
Moreover, Olmert added that he will consider an offer to dispatch peacekeeping German troops to the Gaza Strip to be part of an international force there, but added that this suggestion should be clearly interpreted and understood before Israel and accept it.
Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, waved a fast response to Olmert's statements regrading Israel's possession of nuclear power and said that Israel is “threatening the Arab and Islamic countries, especially Iran”.
Ismail Radwan, spokesperson of Hamas, said that “the Zionist enemy is the cause of all tensions in the region”, and that the statements of Olmert are not new.
“They always had nukes”, Radwan stated, “I don't think that Olmert slipped, I believe that it was intentional in order to show off, and reveal Israel's power in the area, especially against Iran”.
