PRIME
MINISTER’S OLMERT’S STATEMENTS CAUSED UNEASINESS IN THE
ISRAELI PUBLIC OPINION
The scandal
occurred in the aftermath of the publication of an interview
with the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the 23-30
April 2007 issue of weekly “Focus” journal is trying to be
covered up by the Israeli Prime Ministry.
In the
interview in Focus, the German Journal, Ehud Olmert stated
that “the current administration in Iran has posed a threat
for the Israeli existence and the Iranian President has
called for Israel to be wiped off the map and has denied the
Genocide of the Jews,” and said that Iran is also striving
to produce nuclear weapons and he believed that Iran is not
on the verge of nuclear technology as opposed to the claims
of the Iranian Administration.
Noting that
“the Islamic Republic” poses a threat for the entire
international community, the Israeli Prime Minister stated
that the United Nations Security Council passed two “strong”
resolutions and its full implementation of these resolutions
is very important, however, it is too early to pass
judgments and if Iran rejects the United Nations Security
Council’s resolutions, different sanctions may be imposed.
Olmert also stated that “a military strike against Iran has
not been ignored; it can not be possible to completely
destroy the nuclear program through a military operation yet
the intervention to be made can put the program years back;
such a move is technically possible; 10 days and 1000
Tomahawk missiles will be needed for this.”
On the
other hand, Olmert stated that a possible military
intervention against Iran may cause all the Iranian people
to nourish hostile sentiments against the West and also this
may spur the other Muslim countries’ reaction (and thus, it
may cause more problems) and time must be given for the
implementation of the United Nations Security Council’s
resolutions and Israel at the moment has no intention to
strike Iran.
Following
the statements taken with surprise by the international
community, the Israeli Prime ministry denied the remarks of
Ehud Olmert published in the journal in a statement of 28
April 2007. The Prime Ministry Spokesperson Miri Eisin said
that Olmert spoke with the journal Focus yet, he had not
said that “Iran’s disputed nuclear program can be stricken
with 1000 Cruise missiles in a 10 day attack and that the
meeting with the correspondent of Focus is not an exchange
of information but a “background” regarding the general
situation and stressed that agreement was reached not to use
what has been stated. Following the denial by the Israeli
Prime Ministry the Focus officials speaking to ‘Yedioth
Ahronot’ one of the leading newspapers of the country,
defended their news report by saying that the interview was
held on 25 April and it was “real”. Subsequently a statement
was in the website of the journal in which the interview was
conducted by the expert on Middle East and the author Amir
Tahiri and Tahiri had been promised by Olmert for an
interview the previous year, Olmert hadn’t set any
conditions for the interview and the full text of the
interview was posted in the web site.
The
statements attributed to Olmert have been received coldly in
Israel. Likud deputy Yuval Steinitz criticized Olmert
stating that “this careless behavior with the German press
was very serious” and stated that Olmert’s any kind of
statements regarding missiles, bombs seriously harm Israel’s
security.”
