Bush, Olmert in Israel
Photo: Reuters
PM: Bush will go down in Israeli history
'$30 billion we received over 10 years are just small part of what Bush administration has given us,' Olmert says, reassuring public that next US president would also be 'a friend to Israel'
Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
praised US President George W. Bush on Tuesday, just hours before his country finishes electing his replacement. "His name will be engraved in golden letters on the heart of the State of Israel," Olmert told Ynet.
"It is unreasonable to speak of what we have received from the Bush administration," he continued. "There are many things we cannot discuss – the $30 billion we received over 10 years are only the very tip of the iceberg of the things Bush has given us."
The US Elections
Associated Press
Democrat battles to become first black US president while Republican John McCain seeks a historic upset, as Americans head to polls; get-out-the-vote efforts expected to result in record turnout
During the interview, the prime minister discussed publicly the US attack in Syria for the first time. "We, like the Americans, would not hesitate to operate anywhere where there is a fear the country's civilians would be harmed. We have also done this in different places," he said.
Olmert added that the helicopter attack, which took place near the border with Iraq, would not affect the US-endorsed peace talks with Syria. "The Americans are informed of all of our actions," he said. "The US is Israel's greatest friend and it is always updated."
Regarding the effect a new administration would have on the future of negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians Olmert said, "We will doubtless be able to rely on any one of the candidates regarding this issue."
However he insisted Israel learn to deal with its issues on its own. "The problem is that we have this illusion that the Americans or other countries will solve our problems with Syria and the Palestinians for us… This illusion says that if we wait for the next administration, there will be a miracle and our problems will be solved. It's time to say goodbye to this illusion," he said.
"We need to act in order to solve our own problems. We will reach peace with the Palestinians and the Syrians only if we and they both do our duties. Obama or McCain would help us, if we reached the point in which we could make the decisions we have to make."
The prime minister appeared calm in the face of the current vote. "Whoever is elected will be a friend to Israel," he said. "I know them both, and they are both our friends. They both saw fit to visit Israel before the election, something they did not do with almost any other country. I have no doubts that we will be able to rely upon them," he concluded.
