Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke on Thursday night at a Kadima party gathering in honor of Passover. Olmert discussed the ongoing negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, and attacked critics who have accused him of undermining Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. “Nobody can teach me or Kadima ministers about the status, symbols, and importance of Jerusalem,” Olmert said.
Olmert said he did not believe Israel and the PA would come to an agreement in 2008, but said it would be possible to reach “understandings.” “We won’t stop trying for peace,” he added. At the same time, Olmert promised a tough response to recent attacks from Hamas-controlled Gaza, saying, “I promise the response to Hamas will be such that Hamas will not be able to keep doing what it has been doing to Israeli citizens.”