News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appealed to visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier Thursday night to back tougher sanctions against Iran until it accepts international inspection of its nuclear program. Steinmeier did not commit his country to new sanctions, explaining that Germany first wants to wait until a December 15 deadline for clarifications from Iran.

If Iran does not give a satisfactory explanation, "our position is no different from that of the United States or other European countries, [meaning] we'll have to go for another round [of] sanctions," he said.

Steinmeir also visited the Palestinian Authority (PA) on his two-day visit and backed economic aid to private enterprise.