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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert briefed opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu on recent developments in the operations in Lebanon in an 80-minute meeting at the prime minister's official residence in Jerusalem on Friday. A spokesman for Netanyahu said that no political matters were discussed at the meeting but that Olmert thanked Netanyahu for his recent appearances defending Israel on American and European television networks. He said Olmert told Netanyahu that he was Israel's "best spokesman in the foreign press" - a compliment that could potentially cause a dispute between Olmert and his vice premier, Shimon Peres. Netanyahu condemned a Foreign Ministry official...

We have a lot of respect for Condoleezza Rice. For the U.S. Secretary of State, who is currently in the midst of a whirlwind Middle East tour, the path of least diplomatic resistance would have been to echo the widespread call for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel. But to her great credit -- and that of her boss, President George W. Bush -- she didn't. Instead, this week, she told Lebanese officials that any ceasefire would have to be part of a broader deal that included Hezbollah's withdrawal from Lebanon's border with Israel, and the...

Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Thursday night that, "We expected Hizbullah to break the rules, and now we intend to break them. "We do not mean for this event to end when the situation returns to how things were a few days ago," he said. Peretz's comments came before his meeting with Assistant Secretary of State David Welch.

…The first pragmatic reason to be for Gore, then, is that he is electable. He won once. {SCOTUS stole the election.] He can win again. … That Bush has been such a clot as a president, such a golem magnifies Gore's stature as a thinking person with beliefs he can defend honestly and persuasively. … Hillary starts out with so many in the electorate--left, far left, right, far right, center--nearly half of the public … She is just disliked. The phenomenon is actually volcanic. The more she shifts her ground the more shaky it is, and she has shifted her...

Peretz: No Hamas member immune Defense minister approves further ‘Summer Rain’ operation plans during meeting with top security officials, but stresses: Diplomatic effort not yet lost cause. 'We are in decisive moment with respect to deciding rules of game between us and terrorist elements in Palestinian Authority,' he adds Hanan Greenberg Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Thursday, “We are in one of the most significant moments with respect to deciding the rules of the game between us and terrorist elements in the Palestinian Authority in the coming period." The defense minister was speaking during a meeting convened with top security...

Defense Minister defends his restraint: Palestinians our neighbors for always. I greatly desire peace, but will not permit Israeli bloodshed. Great IDF force and capabilities behoove restraint, for moral and political reasons Defense Minister Amir Peretz responded Tuesday to critics claiming that the IDF response was not harsh enough, saying, "I hear many remarks decrying my restraint, and it doesn't affect me. Israeli national security will not be built impetuously. Blind rage may be a very bad advisor in crisis situations." Peretz spoke during a ceremony for national security prizewinners at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, in the presence of...

Peretz: No decision to delay outpost evacuation Police, IDF continue preparation for outpost evacuation, and thus far Defense Minister Amir Peretz has not postponed the plan; but Gaza incursion could cancel evacuation Ronny Sofer Despite the rising tensions with the Palestinians and the IDF's large-scale preparations for incursions into Gaza, Defense Minister Amir Peretz has not decided to cancel next week's evacuation of illegal outposts in the West Bank. However, defense officials said, "The evacuation is dependent on a possible incursion into the Gaza Strip." Officials estimated that should a large-scale offensive be launched to free abducted IDF soldier Gilad...

Minister of Defense Amir Peretz said today that the government will not be moved to order military strikes on Gaza because of protests and demonstrations by Israeli citizens who are under threat from the Palestinian Authority. His comments were made during an address at the Caesaria Conference on Israeli domestic and foreign policies. Peretz was referring to the ongoing protest actions taken by the citizens of Sderot, who have suffered more than 1,000 PA rocket attacks since Israel's August 2005 unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. Residents have held protest vigils, hunger strikes and have closed down their city in recent weeks....

Sderot: Qassams land during president's visit Two rockets land in Sderot area as Katsav, Peretz visit Qassam-battered town. 'I have no intention of making restraint part of my work plan; restraint has run its course,' defense minister says. President: PA leadership directly responsible for rocket attacks. Leaders set to meet with hunger strikers in show of sympathy for residents' distress. Meanwhile, residents agree to end hunger strike at president's request Shmulik Hadad Hunger strikers in Sderot complied Monday with President Moshe Katsav's request and agreed to end their strike, nine days after it was first declared. However, residents said they...

Last update - 22:38 15/06/2006 Peretz: Outpost pullout plan ready within 2 weeks By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent Defense Minister Amir Peretz instructed the Israel Defense Forces on Thursday to conclude preparations for the evacuation of unauthorized West Bank outposts within two weeks. On Peretz's orders, the first stage of the outpost evacuation will encompass sites considered to have the greatest potential for violent confrontation, outposts whose settlers have in the past physically assaulted soldiers, policemen, and Israeli and Palestinian civilians. The defense minister issued his instructions after consulting on the matter with IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, Deputy...

Peretz signals end of military restraint Shortly after IAF air strike against Qassam cell in Gaza, defense minister says 'restraint shown after incident on Gaza beach has ended' Hanan Greenberg Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Tuesday signaled the end of Israel's military restraint after the recent incident in which seven Palestinian civilians were killed. "We showed restraint in the face of the international outcry over the incident on Gaza beach but this has come to an end," he said on a tour in the north. Peretz spoke minutes before an air strike in Gaza in which 9 Palestinians were killed...

Peretz signs evacuation order for 12 settlements Yaakov Katz, THE JERUSALEM POST May. 17, 2006 Defense Minister Amir Peretz signed an evacuation order on Wednesday night for 12 illegal outposts in the West Bank. The orders were originally signed by former defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, but they since expired, and Peretz's decision on Wednesday was to reinstate them. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also gave his approval for the evacuation orders.

Peretz´s First Mission as Defense Minister: Destroy Outposts 10:19 May 08, '06 / 10 Iyar 5766 by Hillel Fendel Only one day into the job, DM Peretz has already set one of his main priorities for the coming months: the destruction of Jewish outposts throughout Judea and Samaria that have been deemed illegal. Brig.-Gen. Kamil Abu-Rokon, the head of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria, informed the Supreme Court Sunday night that he has a plan underway to map out all the unauthorized outposts, with an eye to their destruction. He said the goal is to complete the list,...

Apr. 25, 2006 1:43 | Updated Apr. 25, 2006 19:12 Peretz, Olmert meet on ministers By SHEERA CLAIRE FRENKEL AND JPOST STAFF Labor Party chairman Amir Peretz and Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the proposed reduction of ministers and the elimination of deputy ministers in the new coalition government. Senior Kadima officials said that they expected Olmert to reduce the number of Kadima ministers by one, for a total of 11 Kadima ministers in the government. Kadima sources saw the move as a way of encouraging the rest of the coalition partners to make...

Peretz 'will have to learn quickly' Peretz. 'It doesn't matter who stands at the head of the security system.' Photo: Eli Elgarat Members of the defense establishment are not afraid of expressing themselves over the probable new incoming boss, Amir Peretz. His future conduct is regarded as a 'mystery,' and he is being given a chance, but under the carpet, a lack of faith is hiding Hanan Greenberg If Labor Chairman Amir Peretz becomes minister of defense, as is looking increasingly likely, he will have a lot to learn in his new position, senior security figures told Ynet. "I don't...

Apr. 22, 2006 11:23 | Updated Apr. 22, 2006 23:32 Olmert, Peretz agree on largest government ever By GIL HOFFMANOlmert and Peretz - partnersInterim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Labor Chairman Amir Peretz talk in the Knesset during its inaugural session. Photo: Associated PressIsrael will have its largest government in history with 27 ministers by the end of the week, according to an agreement reached on Thursday night between Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Labor chairman Amir Peretz, sources close to both men said Saturday. Olmert and Peretz met after 11 p.m. at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and...

Apr. 2, 2006 3:02 | Updated Apr. 2, 2006 9:10 President Katsav to kick off coalition talks By GIL HOFFMAN AND JPOST STAFF President Moshe Katsav will begin holding consultations with party representatives on Sunday ahead of his decision this week on whom he should ask to form Israel's next government. The consultations will kick off at noon when Kadima representatives Haim Ramon, Avraham Hirchson, Roni Bar-On, Dalia Itzik, Avigdor Yitzhaki and Marina Solodkin visit Beit Hanassi. They will be followed by MKs from Labor, Shas, Israel Beiteinu and the Likud. Katsav will meet Monday with representatives from the National...

Goldman Sachs Associate Global Markets Economist Michael Vaknin, who covers Israel says, “The economic repercussions are negative, and worse than we expected. The coalition will be less stable. Pre-election polls gave the impression that Kadima will link up with the Labor Party to create a majority bloc, but on the basis of the results, Kadima will have to bring in more parties, which will undermine stability, especially as there is no common denominator between the parties. “The election results indicate that the next government will focus on a social agenda, and we hope that the government will be able to...

Excerpt - Exit polls released as polls closed at 10 P.M. Tuesday showed Kadima gaining from 29 to 32 seats, Labor from 20-22, and the Likud 11-12. ~ snip ~

I'm probably a little early, but I see on Fox that they're already showing the ritual votes of the leaders, etc.