Monday, January 12, 2009

Olmert Blasts Condoleezza Rice, Praises Bush

My source, again, in Hebrew (will probably have something in English later).
ynet.co.il
Olmert remarks on Security Council: Rice Actions Embarrassing

Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, attacked the American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, due to abstained vote on Resolution 1860 of UN Security Council.

In a Speech in Ashkelon Olmert said that "Rice became pretty embarrassed - a proposal that she prepared and organize, in the end she did not vote in favor." Olmert noted that the U.S. President, George Bush, "is a friend of Israel as there never was and will probably will never be.

Since his days are numbered, he feels it's okay to loosen his tounge and say whatever he feels. Keep it to the memoir - he's still a sitting prime minister, Rice is still the secratery of state. From today's remark it seems that Olmert sees things eye to eye with Bush, but Rice's agenda is more of a state-department agenda which is less appreciated by Olmert. It signifies nothing, because in a month there will be completely new players in this diplomatic game.

Update
Still no English source, but ynet.co.il now published a full article about it: here (before it was just a headline brief).
In the article, Olmert says he called Bush and asked him personally to avert Rice's desire to vote in favor of resolution. That is apparently what he means by "Rice was humiliated", he meant to say that him and Bush together put her to shame.

Update 2
English source found:
JPost: PM: Rice left embarrassed in UN vote (with Video)
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday referred to the US decision to abstain from Thursday's UN Security Council resolution vote calling for a Gaza cease-fire, saying US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "was left quite embarrassed, not voting for a resolution that she herself had prepared and organized."

Speaking in Ashkelon, Olmert took pride in demonstrating his close relations with US President George W. Bush and his great support for Israel when he recounted how he urged the US president to intervene.

"Early Friday morning [Israel time], [we knew that] the secretary of state was considering bringing the cease-fire resolution to a UNSC vote and we didn't want her to vote for it. Suddenly, within ten minutes it became clear that, the vote was going ahead.

"I [called the White House and] said, 'Get President Bush on the phone.' They tried, and told me he was in the middle of a lecture in Philadelphia. I said, 'I'm not interested, I need to speak to him now.' He got down from the podium, went out and took the phone call. I told him that the US cannot possibly vote in favor of this resolution. He immediately called the secretary of state and told her not to vote for it. She was left quite embarrassed."

Olmert went on to say that Israel would end the Gaza operation if rocket fire on Israel stops and Hamas is unable to rearm.

"Anything else will be met with the Israeli people's iron fist," Olmert said. "We will continue as long as necessary to remove this threat from our heads."

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