Olmert urges Arab moderates to unite against Iran

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called on Tuesday for moderate Arab countries to unite against Iran and said the world must not wait any longer to thwart its nuclear ambitions.

"We have reached the pivotal moment of truth regarding Iran," Olmert said in an address to American Jewish groups.

"If Iran achieves the ability to produce nuclear weapons, as we know it is seeking to do, we will enter a new era of instability unlike any the world has ever seen," he said. "We cannot afford to wait."

He said Israel "cannot tolerate those who challenge" its right to exist while actively seeking to develop "catastrophic weapons." But the Israeli leader stopped short of warning of any military moves against the Islamic Republic.

Olmert made the comments to the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities of North America a day after White House talks with President George W. Bush in which both men took a tough line against Iran's nuclear program.

"A coalition of moderate Arab countries can and must unite their common interest in preventing Iran from undermining stability in the Middle East," he said, without naming those states.

"This coalition must struggle against the dangers of radical Islam that manipulate the very source of Islam itself."

Olmert praised Bush for taking the lead in "preventing Iran's nuclearization" and said he spoke with the president on the issue at length.

"His determination to prevent this most serious of developments in unquestionable. But America must have the support of the international community if we are to successfully defuse this mortal threat," Olmert said.

Less donors – larger donations  

The GA was marked this year by a large presence of Israeli officials, including the prime minister, six ministers, five Knesset members and other high-profile officials such as Bank Of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer.

Some 1,200 people participated in the conference, titled "Together on the Front Line: One People, One Destiny." During the event the donations of members of the Northern American communities to Israel, standing at USD 350 million, were presented. The donations are aimed at helping to recover the damages caused by the recent war in Lebanon and Israel's north.

Head of the Jewish Agency Zeev Bielski, said that the objective of the event was, among other things, to encourage the Jewish community to invest in Israel. Nachman Shai, the director-general of the United Jewish Appeal, also referred to the issue and said that fundraising have taken a concerning turn for the worse, and that "there are less donors – but the ones who donate give larger sums."

However, Shai stated that the recent conference in LA was one of the best the organization has known in the past few years.

Ronny Sofer contributed to the report