Olmert. We did a great job'
צילום: חיים צח
Olmert brands US visit 'a success'
PM says US trip yielded excellent results for Israel; says was moved by respect, appreciation to state in White House, Congress
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit to Washington was "excellent," officials in the PM's entourage said immediately upon landing in Tel Aviv Thursday evening, adding that the White House summit gained important diplomatic benefits for Israel.
Olmert's return to Israel marks the beginning of an international tour to Europe and the Middle East that will concentrate on addressing the problems the new Hamas government poses for Israel, as well as on the Iranian nuclear threat. On June 11 Olmert is scheduled to visit London and meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair, and is later set to spend two days in Paris as a guest of President Jacque Chirac.
On July 9, the PM is expected to take part in an Israeli-German summit with Chancellor Angela Merkel. In the next few weeks, Olmert is also due to meet Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah.
American envoys to the Middle East Elliot Abrahams and David Welch are set to arrive in Israel in July or August, followed by the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. During his Washington visit Olmert has also invited President George W. Bush to Jerusalem, but no date has been set for a presidential visit as of yet.
Olmert: Pleased with job well done
On the plane back from the US, Olmert appeared relaxed and content.
"The president is a very intelligent and knowledgeable man. He took interest in all the details, the timetables, and especially in the statements he and I eventually made during the press conference at the White House. This has been excellent work, that yielded results," the PM told reporters on the flight.
"I was moved by the notion of Israel's power as demonstrated in the meeting with Bush and in my speech before the Congress. Everybody came there to show their respect for the State of Israel. I don't think that there are many countries in the world that are awarded such respect by the largest parliament on earth. It was very exciting," Olmert said.
"The central issue was getting better acquainted with the president. As we will have to work together, the personal contact becomes very important. Therefore it was significant that we meet privately – actually including my wife Aliza – and discussed all the issues on the agenda. This conversation lasted one hour and forty minutes, and it attests to Bush's great appreciation for the state of Israel," the PM concluded.
