Olmert hopes for "eternal covenant" with Arabs

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that he hoped an "eternal covenant" could soon be signed between Israel and its neighbors.

"Israel didn't want these confrontations, on the contrary, we did our utmost to avoid them by withdrawing to borders recognized by the international community," said the prime minister.

Olmert added that Israel had no business in involving itself with the internal struggles within Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority adding, "our problem is with the terrorists attacking us from those territories."