Olmert and Bush met with reporters following their hour-long meeting in Washington Monday night. Both expressed concern about Iran’s nuclear development program.
Bush agreed with Israel’s position that Iran is intent on developing a nuclear bomb, regardless of its insistence that it will use the technology for peaceful domestic use. They were also adamant that the Islamic Republic not be allowed to “cross the technological threshold” that would allow Iranian scientists to build a nuclear weapon.
“If Iran has a nuclear weapon, it will be incredibly destabilizing and obviously threatening a strong ally,” said Bush, referring to Israel’s fears of an existential threat from the Islamic Republic.
Bush urged the international community to take action. Sanctions threatened by the United Nations Security Council if Iran did not meet its ultimatum to end uranium enrichment by the end of August never materialized after Iran ignored the deadline.
“If they continue to move forward with the program,” said Bush, “there has to be a consequence. And a good place to start is working together to isolate the country. And my hope is, is that there are rational people inside the government that recognize isolation is not their country’s interest.”
Olmert said earlier during a televised interview that any compromise “which will be acceptable to President Bush will be acceptable to me” in a bid to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
The talks came in the wake of an election in which the Republican Party took a beating at the polls, losing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Despite concerns in the international Jewish community that a Democratic government would be less supportive of Israel, the Prime Minister said he was confident the U.S. would continue to back Israel.
In a conversation during the flight to Washington Sunday, Olmert told reporters, "Support for Israel traditionally has been bipartisan. I don't see anything changing in the next two years that can alter the balance of feeling towards us."
Bush agreed with Israel’s position that Iran is intent on developing a nuclear bomb, regardless of its insistence that it will use the technology for peaceful domestic use. They were also adamant that the Islamic Republic not be allowed to “cross the technological threshold” that would allow Iranian scientists to build a nuclear weapon.
“If Iran has a nuclear weapon, it will be incredibly destabilizing and obviously threatening a strong ally,” said Bush, referring to Israel’s fears of an existential threat from the Islamic Republic.
Bush urged the international community to take action. Sanctions threatened by the United Nations Security Council if Iran did not meet its ultimatum to end uranium enrichment by the end of August never materialized after Iran ignored the deadline.
“If they continue to move forward with the program,” said Bush, “there has to be a consequence. And a good place to start is working together to isolate the country. And my hope is, is that there are rational people inside the government that recognize isolation is not their country’s interest.”
Olmert said earlier during a televised interview that any compromise “which will be acceptable to President Bush will be acceptable to me” in a bid to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
The talks came in the wake of an election in which the Republican Party took a beating at the polls, losing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Despite concerns in the international Jewish community that a Democratic government would be less supportive of Israel, the Prime Minister said he was confident the U.S. would continue to back Israel.
In a conversation during the flight to Washington Sunday, Olmert told reporters, "Support for Israel traditionally has been bipartisan. I don't see anything changing in the next two years that can alter the balance of feeling towards us."