Olmert Addresses Knesset

AUGUST 14, 2006

SPEAKER: EHUD OLMERT, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL

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OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Madam Speaker, distinguished House, I would like to start by sending my condolences on my own behalf, on behalf of the government, on behalf of the parliament and on behalf of the entire people to the families of the 159 Israelis who have been killed, civilians and Israeli defense forces alike.

We are, indeed, a people who count their dead. We count our dead every single day. We grieve for their passing, and we mourn for every single one of them, for each of them has a family, for each of them is an entire world.

Each of them, like each of us, wanted to live a normal life, just like anyone else. And this wish and this right is something that we have been fighting for for many decades. We fought it in the last month, and unfortunately, we will be forced to continue fighting for this for many more years to come.

I also wish to send my warmest wishes for a complete recovery to everyone who has been injured in both the military and the civilian population, and we pray to the Almighty that they will get better.

And from this rostrum, Madam Speaker, I wish on behalf of the entire people in Israel to send my thanks and appreciation to the chief of staff of the IDF, to the commanders of the IDF, to the soldiers in both the regular and professional and reserve army, who have fought so hard against a cruel enemy in a war which is of the most just and the most moral wars.

And I want to thank the emergency rescue forces, the heads of the local authorities and their personnel and the many, many who have assisted here -- everyone who has come from all walks of life.

And, above all, I would like to salute you, the residents of the north, for your devotion and your composure, your ability to show restraint. In doing so, you have been the very bedrock of the strength of the state of Israel.

Members of the House, about a month ago, the government approved a departure by the IDF on an operation against the Hezbollah in reaction to a terrorist operation in which eight IDF solders were killed and Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were kidnapped, our two soldiers.

The responsibility for this operation lies with me, as the prime minister. I have no intention -- and I'm not asking -- to share this responsibility with anyone whatsoever. This is the responsibility that results from the position of prime minister in Israel.

This decision, on the part of the Israeli government, not to ignore what happened reverberated and will continue to reverberate for a long time in the capitals of the world, both those which are near and those which are far.

And he made it very clear to every single person in the world that the state of Israel will no longer take on the chin without reacting any detraction from its sovereignty, that it would no longer turn its back on any harm inflicted on any of its citizens, and therefore, it would react to any acts of terrorism, whether from north or south, whether from east or from the sea, from anywhere, irrespective of where it comes from.

OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Madam Speaker, ladies and gentlemen, members of the House, this morning, Security Council Resolution 1701 came into force. And this contains a whole series of obligation which should utterly, from the bottom up, change the situation on our northern borders.

In my speech to the Knesset on the 17th of July, 2006, a few days after the campaign broke out, I said, and I quote, "And in Lebanon, we shall fight in order to get the conditions that the international community has already laid down implemented."

And this has been utterly endorsed by the decision of yesterday of the G-8: the return of the kidnapped soldiers, a complete cease- fire, the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south of Lebanon, and the disarming of Hezbollah, as stated in Security Council Resolution 1559.

The decision constitutes a diplomatic achievement for Israel, but its importance is vital to all countries of the free world who are fighting world terror.

The international community, all together, agrees that the state of terror which has come about in Lebanon must be abolished and done away with.

And the U.N. Security Council entirely adopted the resolution that recognizes that only Israel and Lebanon are responsible for this area. There is no more state within state. There's no more aegis or auspices of one state over a terror organization.

And there's no further terror organization within Lebanon which acts as the long arm of the axis of terror, which stretches from Tehran to Damascus, which turns the citizens and infrastructure of Lebanon into a mere tool of its evil aims.

OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): And in that way, we therefore have a situation where if the sovereign government of Lebanon will be solely responsible for everything that happens in its territory and the entire international system is committed to this arrangement, we shall continue operating to obtain the return of our kidnapped soldiers. We will do this indefatigably and using all of the tools available to us, both overt and covert.

As also is required by the Security Council resolution, I have appointed Offr Dekel (ph), a former deputy head of the security service, as a special representative for me to deal with the return of Udi, Eldad and Gilad.

Yesterday morning, before the meeting of the cabinet, I met with the families of the kidnapped soldiers, and I updated them with regard to the agreement that had been achieved.

I now speak to the Goldwasser, Regev and Chalit families. I saw your pain. I read the frustration and the anticipation as Ani (ph) Regev, and his brothers looked at me, and I see how Aviva Chalit looked at me, and Ehud's wife. And my heart goes out to you. And I know that all of us, all of the members of this house and our whole Israeli people are with you.

And I promised to you -- and this I promise I will do, I will do this -- that I will personally conduct and undertake all efforts and will be involved in all the details for returning Udi, Eldad and Gilad home. And, with God's help, they will return quickly.

OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I believe that the realization of the U.N. resolution brings about good conditions for their return. The entire international community is committed to this.

With regard to returning our soldiers home, as with regard to our policy achievements, I think we should wait a little and maintain a healthy degree of skepticism, caution, and be on the T.V. (ph) we must be alert.

If we look at the resolution and every single clause, we intend to keep a very close eye on the implementation of every single one of its points. We do not intend to turn a blind eye to any failure to implement anything or flouting of any of its provisions. We shall react.

Madam Speaker, members of the House, the actions of the IDF in the last month -- in the air, on the sea and on the ground -- have brought about a change in the regional strategic balance, first and foremost with regard to the Hezbollah terrorist organization.

The soldiers of the IDF have struck a major blow at this murderous organization. The extent of this blow is not yet known, but in terms of its long-term capabilities, its enormous arsenal of arms that it built up and stockpiled for many, many years, and also with regard to its self-confidence and self-confidence of its personnel and its leaders.

In every single battle, with every single engagement with the Hezbollah terrorists, the IDF came out on top. And there is no doubt whatsoever about that.

And I know that the leaders of this organization will go underground and will disseminate from there untruths and lies with regard to what really happened.

And I want to stress the following. These people will not be left alone. They won't be left alone. We will continue pursuing them everywhere, all the time. This is our ethical duty with regard to ourselves, and we have no intention whatsoever of apologizing or asking for permission to do this from anyone whatsoever.

We, too, have suffered very painful blows, both on the home front and on the front lines, in the field. We have no illusions when given the force of circumstances we went off to this war. We did not deceive anyone. We did not delude anyone. We said we'll take rockets. There will be missiles coming in and we will pay a very dear price, a price which is above all value, the price of human life. We will pay the ultimate price.

And we said to every single individual on the home front and on the front, we told them what the situation was, but we told them that there was no other option, we had to go and fight, otherwise we would have found ourselves tackling even greater dangers and risks in the future.

Members of the House, I see and hear those voices which state -- I see and hear those self-same (ph) voices that make one feel uncomfortable, even disappointment. They say they're dissatisfied, they're disappointed, even those whose expectations have not yet been met. And I say to them, and to everybody, my friends, be patient, be patient.

Our fight against terrorism, like the fight of the world against terrorism, didn't start yesterday, nor will it finish in the foreseeable future.

OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It's a long, hard, arduous, complex fight. It requires restraint, determination, steadfastness and a cool head.

We've all seen what force lies in the steadfastness and the restraint of the home front, an ability that surprised our foes.

Here we have fundamentalist, fanatical terror before us. And a people that wishes to overcome this needs nerves of steel. We, members of that people who have returned to their land after 2,000 years, needs patience. And that is why we will prevail.

Members of the House, there have also been failings and shortcomings. We shall have to scrutinize ourselves.

(DISRUPTION)

TRANSLATOR: Heckling by M.K. Ahmadtibi (ph).

(UNKNOWN) (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I'd already warned you twice. This is the third time. You must now leave.

(CROSSTALK)

(UNKNOWN) (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Now the member has been warned for the third time. Please take her out, as well.

OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Madam Speaker, members of the House, there have also been shortcomings. We will need to examine ourselves in all aspects, all areas.

And from this rostrum, I say, first and foremost, the soldiers and commanders of the Israel Defense Forces must not flinch, you must not waver. You are the heroes of the Israeli people, and you will receive my full backing and support.

OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We shall not hesitate to examine everything that must be checked out. We will not sweep anything under the table. We will not hide anything.

This is the very beating heart of a democracy, but we will not do this because people get upset. Because of false charges, we don't have the luxury to be able to allow ourselves to be swept away in a chorus of mutual recrimination.

We don't have that luxury, because we must ensure that next time -- and there is likely to be a next time -- things will be done better. And even if we think that we have drawn all the lessons, next time, too, there will be things that we shall have to put right. Because, ladies and gentlemen, this is what war is.

OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Madam Speaker, members of the House, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity in order to thank my fellow government members and, in particular, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni for their responsible and level-headed conduct.

I would like to thank the members of the House from all parties, the members of the opposition and also my fellow coalition members, my adversaries and my friends alike, for maintaining restraint in the heat of battle.

I would also like to say to everyone here who are still criticizing our operation, who are trying to tell us what to do and who are sniping, in an unfounded fashion, at us, we do not intend to apologize. The state of Israel is right.

Members of the House, my fellow Israelis, the Israeli economy has remained stable and steadfast, despite the 30 days of combat. I have complete faith in the Israeli economy, in its strength and in its stability.

This war requires us to take a whole series of decisions in respect of the country's priorities in the years to come. The government, headed by myself, and I, myself, personally are going to focus our efforts, our resources and our energies on helping the residents of the north and everything that is in the north.

We will focus all the appropriate resources on a multi-annual, national plan in order to ensure that the north will return to being a flourishing place of tourism, of high-tech, of industry, of tourism, of everything.

OLMERT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): And next Sunday the government will already approve the principles which the minister of economic affairs will be proposing. He already has a team working on this.

And on the Sunday after that, we will endorse the detailed plan, so that we can forge on with our intentions to further and assist the north and its population.

And this will require all the appropriate resources. We will have to throw everything we can into this, which the whole of Israeli society has shown in the last month. This will have to be focused on the north.

And this is the most vital spirit we have to return the north to being what it always has been, a flourishing part of the world (ph), of action and normal tranquil existence. This is the most victorious answer to our foes.

During the 3,000 years that we have existed as a people, we have known many foes who have risen up against us to destroy us. And with the help of the Almighty, we have managed to survive all of this.

We shall also survive all of the distress and the difficulties and hardships of these days. And we will continue to build our country with pride. We never give in. We never capitulate. And we are never broken.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

END

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Aug 14, 2006 12:12 ET .EOF

Source: CQ Transcriptions © 2006, Congressional Quarterly Inc., All Rights Reserved