Israel Matzav

"I did not say that Israel has nukes"

Remember how ridiculous Bill Clinton sounded when he got on TV and said "I did not have sex with that woman," when it was clear to everyone else that he had done exactly that? That's what Ehud K. Olmert sounds like this morning.

After telling German television station SAT1 last night that Israel is a nuclear power, Olmert is now saying that we are not. Is he telling the truth in either statement? It depends upon the meaning of is....

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office denied there had been any change in Israel's long-standing policy of nuclear ambiguity, after Olmert appeared to admit that Israel had nuclear capability in an interview with the German television network SAT 1.

Regarding Israel's alleged nuclear capabilities, during his television interview, Olmert became agitated when asked if the fact that Israel possessed nuclear power weakened the West's position against Iran.

"Israel is a democracy, Israel doesn't threaten any country with anything, never did," he said. "The most that we tried to get for ourselves is to try to live without terror, but we never threaten another nation with annihilation. Iran openly, explicitly and publicly threatens to wipe Israel off the map. Can you say that this is the same level, when they [Iran] are aspiring to have nuclear weapons, as America, France, Israel, Russia?"

Olmert's statements drew fire from politicians across the political spectrum. MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud) responded to Olmert's statement by calling for the prime minister to resign. Meretz-Yahad chairman Yossi Beilin called Olmert's remarks "irresponsible to the point of recklessness."

The Prime Minister's Office said fumbled English was the cause of what it referred to as a misunderstanding regarding what Olmert meant.

Maybe he should ask Tzippi Livni for English lessons....

If Shimon Peres' poodle Yossi Beilin (the purveyor of the Geneva initiative) is calling you 'irresponsible to the point of recklessness,' it's time to resign Ehud.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:31 AM