PM: Israel not pleased with PA clashes

Olmert: Actions are manifestation of violence in Palestinian society.

By HERB KEINON
norway pm 298 (photo credit: AP)
norway pm 298
(photo credit: AP)
Prime Minster Ehud Olmert, in his first public comments about the Palestinian infighting, said on Wednesday that the violence did nothing to contribute to "the stability in the region" nor to Israeli-Palestinian relations. Olmert, at a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, said that Israel was not happy with the violence in the Palestinian Authority and that it would like to see cease-fires that were respected both between Hamas and Fatah and between the Palestinians and Israel. He said that Israel was not pleased when Palestinians kill other Palestinians and that it was a manifestation of too much violence in the Palestinian society.
  • Burning Issues #17: Is PA fighting good for Israel The prime minister said previous gestures made by Syria to begin negotiations were false. "Syria continues to support terrorism in Iraq, cooperates with the Iranian president and makes every effort to topple the Lebanese government," Olmert said. "We want to make peace with all countries, it is peace that we want - but we will not tolerate pretending," he added. When asked about criticism of Israeli policies that have been voiced in recent years in Norway, Olmert described relationships between the two countries as good, but said that this didn't mean that there wouldn't be disagreements. Olmert said that Israel needed to be willing and "patient" to explain the Israeli perspective to Norwegians who didn't have this perspective being so far away. Olmert said during the press conference that they had discussed the cease-fire between the PA and Israel and said that some 40 rockets had been fired since it was declared a month ago. He pointed out that one even fell during his conversation with the Norwegian prime minister. Olmert added that he didn't know how much longer Israel would restrain itself from reacting.