How much more evidence do Israelis need that this man is a weak, spineless, corrupt idiot? Despite Bibi's well-known faults, he is extremely articulate and argues Israel's case very well in the international media. Woe to Israel if you elect Olmert to lead you in these perilous times.

Vodka must be cheap in Madrid.

While the rest of our cultures and human rights beliefs race China to the bottom.

Presumably Mr. Putin is inviting Hamas to lunch so that he can exercise a diplomatic moderating influence, similar to the one he (hopes) he is pursuing with Iran. Unfortunately, Mr. Putin no longer remembers what it's like to have an ideological mindset. I hope I am wrong, but he will most likely also find that Hamas is deaf to practical issues, and is still talking itself into demagogic fantasies of taking over its corner of the Middle East.

Please send invitation to the L.T.T.E leaders to Russia as well

The Russians will deal with anyone, as long as they can make an easy buck...especially this anti-semite dog Putin

Thye deserve each other!

They get nothing from the west except more encroachment on their lands. Their natural allies are the moslem countries.

Why should Olmert be disappointed? After all he is the one who gave the tax money to Hamas already. If Israelis are showing no resolve to deffend themselves what can they expect from the rest of the world.

He is just proving that the Kremlin finds Oil and Money more important then human life

It seems nothing that happens wakes Israel's leaders up .The continue down the same suicidal path and bend to every insane demand put on them. When is Israel going to wake up and get a backbone and stand up FOR IT'S SURVIVAL ? If Israel won't ,they expect another nation to ? The cattle cars are running on the tracks and again the Jewish people are passive,silent and unwilling to defend themselves, hopeing someone else will do it for them.

I hope that Israel is sending to Putin a photograph and biography of every Russian-speaking Israeli murdered or wounded by his new Islamo-fascist friends. Russia is playing stupid geopolitical games -- stupid because they will embolden Islamic terrorists worldwide, from the PA to Chechnya. There is ***NO*** excuse for terrorism. Against any civilian of any country. Ever.

Once again Olmert has erred in his judgements. The Russian bear has always been in the forefront of anti-Semitism. From the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" to Stalin's attempts at conciliation with Hitler;the the Soviet Union's stauch support of Arab aggression;the Soviet Union's harassment of its Jews; The Russian Federation purposely atacking and jailing Jewish businessmen;knife attacks in Synagogues;attacks against Judaism in the Duma;and Putin's current declaration. The Russians have never taken any moves to hide their feelings and antagonism to anything Jewish. They have always pursued Arab favour, whether it was their unmitigated support of Syrian terrorism or their embracing of Arafat (like Clinton and Suha). That Olmert and Peres felt any reason to beieve they had changed is in itself a reason to question their leadership and ability to speak on behalf of our people

I told you guys Quartet will sell israel out. Deond on yourselves and the diaspora, not the big powers

Nuclear Reactors. They need electricity, and Putin is just the guy to give it to them. It's just for electricity. Who would want to develop nuclear weapons? Just foolin. Maybe Putin is looking for a place to ship the Chechnian terrorists too.

...to continue to express "shock" and "disappointment," and to make statements like "dancing with wolves"? What could that accomplish? It's been done for years and the regard for us has continued to slip away. What tangible difference does this "Quartet" really make? It's like a bunch of kindergarten bullies telling on each other to a sleeping teacher.

WE KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT THEIR TERROISTS SO ..........WHATS YOUR GAME A FOOT HOLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST PERHAPS, WELL BEWARE YOU COULD BE STANDING IN QUICK SAND.

Should Russia go ahead with its stated plan of meeting hamas' leaders, Israel should declare the road map and the concept of the quartet null and void.

Get your own house in order Jerry. Your President has been proved to have been “economical with the truth” and we all know the intelligence of the occupant of the White House! Isn’t he President Um Um? As for Bibi, well, you are lucky that you are not and Israeli who is infirm, suffering from cancer or handicapped. Bibi, as Minister of Finance brought poverty and humiliation on these people. He talks of achievements when one in every four Israeli children is living below the poverty line. Thanks to Bibi the people who built this country are living in slums and squalor and some have even died of starvation! You should also know that in diplomatic circles the word “disappointed” means enraged and pissed off! Don’t criticize Olmert for Russias anti-Israel and anti-Semitic attitude. Russia’s history, the home of the Pogrom, attests to that. And finally Jerry, have you forgotten the your government is also prone to kissing the posteriors of the pot bellied sheikhs with daggers under their robes?

Olmert is one of the most corrupt and disgusting people ever to set foot in the knesset (quite an achievment), as the mayor of Jerusalem he nearly destoryed it, all the young people ran away and the city was left to the Arabs and the Haredim, it became dirty and ugly while Olmert was spending 80% of his time flying around the world. Bibi as a finance minister saved our country from a bankrupt style 1984, and sometimes, before we can throw around money to the people who really need it we have to create it first and thus the answer is growth, following the intifada the economy was suffering negative (!) growth threatning our country with bankrupt, and so, Bibi chose the less popolistic approach to save our economy instead of handing out money carelessly, if it werent for Bibi there would (still) be alot of/more poor people AND the economy would be knocked out.

this gives us a reason to cut all contacts with "Palestinians", and continue to disengane entirely. Let them get their electricity from Moscow shabat shalom

Who knows who got paid off to run from Russia's signed position?

Obviously you learned economics at the school of emotional analysis. If you want a train to get over a certain mountain range you put in a more powerful locomotive not add more wagons. That is exactly what Bibi did to the Israeli economy, bringing it finally into the 21st century. You want to compete in today's world markets, you can not depend on a creaky 1950's style pseudo Soviet economy. Read this article published today in this newspaper. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3213738,00.html

Russia has done it again. They were responsible for the nuclear “know how” in Iran, which is now threatening Israel, the moderate Arab States and the West. Now Putin is courting Hamas. This is the first sign of cracks in the non-recognition of Hamas until it changes its manifesto on non-recognition of Israel and its destruction. Now Putin is backtracking saying that he never regarded Hamas as a terrorist organization in the first place. I wonder what Putin’s reaction would be if Israel and the world regarded Chechnya as a non-terrorist regime? Putin would never allow Chechnyan rebels to rule and regarded them as terrorists. Surely Putin is a king of double standards! Even Kofi Anan, the UN secretary is “softening” towards Hamas. This is the beginning of the legitimization process of Hamas and it would not be surprising if the European Union will soften their attitude towards Hamas as well.

half the poors in israel are arabs israelis. They receive less money from israeli state thanks to Bibi. the poors jews are helped by jewish organisations. With less money arabs will do less children. God save Netanyahou.

David , Karmiel, Israel IS SPELLING OUT FACTS Inform yourself bevore you make silly statements

I knew if I looked hard enough, I would find s8x in here somewhere. Russia is just trying to get on Americas nerves - the US would not recognize hamass & the ruskies wants to be their knight in shining armour. I think they make good bed partners. (more s8x!!!)

Russia, regardless of its varying historical names and entities, has a long and infamous hostory of Jew hatred. From the pogroms, to the Czarist "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" to its agrrements with Hitler and Islam to its Cold War support of Arab terror and subjugation of Russian Jews to today's knife attacks in synagogues and open Dumaaction to suppress Judaism as a "hostile entity" Russia has routinely shown its hostility. That anyone, especially our own FM, to believe Russia was a trustworthy ally is symbolic of either ignorance, stupidity, or outright submission and appeasement. Russia has shown it has no place in the "Quartet" and is not an objective arbiter of facts on the ground. When a Hamass supprted "militant" group masacres 350+ Russian school children, it is "terrorism". But when their mentors - Hamass-attacks JEWISH CHILDREN, Russia finds what it believes is a viable excuse. Livni better get heract together quickly, and admit who our friends really are, or she better be prepared for unemplyment.