Daniel Seaman: Good morning, Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, thank you for being here today. I want to thank Prime Minister Olmert, for making this meeting with the Foreign Press. Usually, we have an annual reception together with the Foreign Press Association, which happens around the New Year. I don’t know what New Year it is today, but we’re more than happy to have you meet with us.
PM Olmert: You want to postpone it.
Daniel Seaman: No, no, no. We’re more than happy to have it. We also usually have it after a reception. I think it’s a little too early for cocktails, even for the members of the media, but the fact that we can meet with you today is, I think, those of you among the veterans I’m sure you see some faces here that you’re familiar with, we’ve known you for many years in different capacities and we’re very happy to have you here as Prime Minister today. Mr. Prime Minister, there are 350 foreign offices that have a permanent representative in the State of Israel. Certainly, one of the largest foreign press corps in the world. If you take per square kilometer and per capita, absolutely the largest foreign press corps in the world, on any given day, is here in Israel. So without any further ado, I would like to turn over to Daniel Blumenthal, representative of the Foreign Press Association, for a few remarks and then turn it over to you.
Daniel Blumenthal: Good morning. Mr. Prime Minister, the Foreign Press Association celebrates this year 50 years of its existence. Hundreds and hundreds, maybe thousands of foreign journalists worked in Israel, covered from Israel and from the territories, from the Palestinian territories, the events here of the last 50 years of history. As you may guess, it’s very interesting to be a foreign press journalist from here and we hope we can have you as a guest – you and the future Prime Ministers of Israel forever, every year in an event. Thank you very much.
PM Olmert: Mr. Seaman, the Head of the Government Press Office, Mr. Blumenthal, distinguished members of the press, I’m delighted to have this meeting with you. And I apologize if it’s too early for some of you in the morning. I’ll make a short statement and then if you’ll have questions…
The main purpose of the Israeli operation in Gaza is twofold: One, is to take measures in order to allow the release of the Israeli kidnapped soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, and the other is to stop the Kassam missiles from being shot at Israeli civilians in the south part of the country. Since about ten months ago, Israel pulled out entirely from Gaza back into the territory which is recognized by the international community as part of the State of Israel. In other words, there are not any occupying forces in Gaza since August of last year. And since then, there wasn’t one day of rest for the people of Israel that live in the south part of our country. Almost on a daily basis, there are missiles shot at them, with one purpose in mind of those who are doing it. This is to kill innocent Israeli civilians in schools, or in their homes or in the streets as they are trying to do every day. This is something that is entirely intolerable. Israeli people like every other people, deserve to be protected. The Palestinians deserve to be protected and the dream that we had when we pulled out from Gaza, was that we will be able to start a new phase in the relations between Israelis and Palestinians. I personally remember talking with Palestinians as well as with others about building together with Palestinians and with private entrepreneurs, from outside of the Middle East, industrial parks in the Gaza area with Israeli investments, that would have helped create new economic opportunities for the people living in Gaza. The people of Gaza deserve to have a different quality of life. They deserve to have a government which takes care of their needs, of their problems, of their opportunities, of their chances. And what we wanted was to have a quiet and peaceful border between us and the Palestinians that would allow us and them to develop the potential that we both have at this part of the world. Unfortunately, as I said, there wasn’t one day of rest for Israelis which were attacked repeatedly by the missiles coming from Gaza aiming at the lives of innocent people. And at some point, we had to stop it. And the main purpose of this military operation is a) as I said to help release the Israeli kidnapped soldier, which is a victim of a terrorist action, in the territory of the State of Israel by terrorists that crossed the border for the purpose of provoking a military confrontation. And the other purpose is to stop the Kassam missile shooting against Israeli people. We haven’t set a particular timetable for this operation. It will continue in places, in times, in different measures that will suit the purposes that were outlined. Thank you very much.
Daniel Seaman: We’re taking questions now from the members of the media. Mr. Prime Minister, we usually take the first question from the board, but I think that today, we’ll all agree that the first question we’ll give in recognition of last night’s World Cup victory to Italy, the first question will go to RAI Television, the official State Television of Italy, sitting right up here, if you please, over there in the back. Those of you who want to ask questions, Sharon is in the back, point out to her, she’ll call you up on time. Please identify yourself by name and organization for the Prime Minister, please.
Questions and Answers