Olmert: Opposition doesn't want peace

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert launched a scathing assault on the Opposition parties on Wednesday afternoon from the Knesset podium, accusing them of attempting to topple the government "because you don't want peace."

Olmert said in the government's defense that it had launched peace negotiations with both the Palestinian Authority, and Syria: "For eight or nine years there were no negotiations with them. Of course, we can drag it out for another 10 years."

The Knesset plenum assembled for a special and turbulent session at the request of 40 MKs following the submittal of eight motions to dissolve the Knesset. The motions were withdrawn after Labor signed an agreement with Olmert's Kadima party to support the coalition.

"I understand that the Opposition is meant to stand as an alternative to the government. I understand that it needs to be aggressive, but when you come to present an alternative you must also say what it is you want done differently than the way the government is doing it," said Olmert, saying the Opposition was essentially promoting the same agenda as the government. "The government of Israel is far from done with the issues facing it, and a little party of 12 MKs (the Likud) will not dictate the national agenda," he said.

The prime minister also addressed the negotiations for the release of Israel's captive soldiers – Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. "The three soldiers are this nation's sons. They were abducted in the line of duty. Yesterday I met with the Egyptian president in an effort to advance Shalit's release. We agreed that moving the negotiations for Gilad's release forward will be the top priority and that Egypt would play an important role in advancing it."

Olmert then said he would bring the divisive issue of possibly declaring Regev and Goldwasser as deceased would be brought before the Knesset this coming Sunday. "Of all the decisions a prime minister must make, this is one of the hardest. I sat yesterday with Karnit (Goldwasser). I won't say anything else. We will reach a decision, and ai believe we will reach it pure of heart."

Netanyahu: This is a government of failures

Opposition Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu followed Olmert at the stand with a diatribe of his own: "This is a government of failures. This government simply does not care. Actually it does care – it cares about keeping its seats. This Knesset and this government have run their course… you put politics before defense and this week you proved just that."

Earlier in the session Likud faction chairman, MK Gideon Sa'ar, traded blows with Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik after the former called Labor MKs "pushovers." Sa'ar was ultimately removed from the podium.

Sa'ar had been berating Labor for recently signing a deal with Kadima that would keep the coalition standing, so long as Kadima agreed to hold internal primaries.

Netanyahu turned to Itzik during his speech and said the decision to expel Sa'ar was gravely wrong and questioned the democratic nature of debate in the plenum.