During his speech in front of the US congress on Wednesday evening, the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, attacked the Palestinian Authority headed by Hamas, and claimed that Hamas is an antisemitic movement, and that he will go on with his unilateral convergence plan.
Olmert stated that Israel “has to guarantee its existence as a Jewish state, with secure borders and the unified Jerusalem as its capital”.
Also, Olmert claimed that over the past six years, there have been 20.000 attempts to carry attacks against Israel, “but the army managed to foil most of these attempts”, he claimed.
“Hamas is a terrorist movement that aims to destroy Israel”, he added, “We will not surrender to terrorism in any way”.
Olmert also claimed that Israel is not interested in occupying the Palestinians, who are still living under Israeli military occupation and continuous settlement expansion and construction plans on their land, adding that they have the right to self determination and to live in peace.
He added that he is willing to negotiate with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and with the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority if it recognizes the State of Israel.
Olmert reiterated his statements that there is no Palestinian partner for peace and that the “Palestinians should understand that after several years “they might be able to live in an independent Palestinian state that coexists with Israel”.
Referring to the U.S backed Road Map Plan, Olmert stated that this plan is still considered the right one, but the Israeli unilateral move will enable Israel to “advance in the peace process, and will be able to solve a great part of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict”.
He also said that Iran is considered a threat to the existence of Israel, and called for international moved to stop its nuclear program.
“If Iran manages to obtain nuclear weapons, it will achieve the goal of the terrorists; a massive destruction to humanity”, he said, “This is the main challenge we have to face, the main challenge we cannot lose”.
Israeli vice-premiere Shimon Peres, welcomed Olmert’s speech, while member of Knesset, Yossi Beilin, Meretz-Yahad movement, said that these statements lead the area to a blocked road.
