Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was booed on Thursday night by participants in MASA programs sponsored by the Jewish Agency while speaking at a Jewish Agency event in Latrun. Participants held signs saying, “The People is with the Golan.”

Earlier in the day Olmert announced that Israel and Syria would soon begin talks via Turkey. Syrian officials later said that Olmert had agreed to give up the strategic Golan region, a charge that Olmert denied. Opponents accused Olmert of timing the announcement to distract the public from allegations that he received bribes from American businessmen.