Thursday, May 22, 2008

Demonstrators storm stage area carrying 'Nation with Golan' signs as PM
speaks at Jewish Agency ceremony. Olmert booed as he arrives at event, tells
audience: 'The most beautiful place I visited recently is the Golan Heights'
Aviram Zino YNET Published: 05.22.08, 21:15 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3546790,00.html

Several protestors interrupted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's speech at a
Jewish Agency ceremony near Jerusalem Thursday evening after storming the
stage area.

The demonstrators, who were carrying "The Nation is with the Golan" signs,
were reportedly encouraged by the crowd on hand. Olmert was forced to stop
his address, as the protestors reached within a few meters of him.

The prime minister, who was booed when he arrived at the ceremony, told the
protestors: "The most beautiful place I visited recently is the Golan
Heights. Let's put politics aside." He later added that "we have no other
country aside from the Jewish State."

On Wednesday, the committee of Golan Heights communities called an emergency
sessions following the announcement that Israel intends to make concessions
in future negotiations with Syria.

Golan Regional Council Chairman Eli Malka said at the start of the meeting
that Golan residents "are counting on a significant majority amongst the
public and in the Knesset to act sanely and wisely and not allow the prime
minister, who is acting based on foreign considerations, to send Israel into
a tailspin.

"This move is bad for Israel, bad for the Americans, bad for the Arab world
and bad for a future peace."

Hagai Einav contributed to the story