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Jerusalem Extends Peace Offer to Beirut

At the opening Monday of the winter session of the Knesset - Israel`s parliament, located in the ancient-modern Jewish capital of Jerusalem - the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert repeated an invitation for Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora to meet with him and discuss building a lasting peace between the two nations. There was no mention of any hope for an accord with Syria, a neighbor of Lebanon that helps fund and supply the Hizballah terrorist group within Lebanon.

Hizballah, which has members sitting in the Lebanese government, launched a cross-border attack in mid-July which led to a war between Israel, Hizballah, and to a smaller extent Lebanon lasting around 34 days. However, Mr. Olmert`s offer was rebuffed as a similar offer was earlier this year, with Lebanese prime minister Siniora issuing a statement reiterating that Lebanon would be "the last Arab state to sign peace with Israel."

Hardly nonplussed by the Lebanese prime minister`s rejection, at the opening of parliament Olmert said "Israel can be a natural, serious partner for a peace-seeking country like Lebanon." He urged Siniora "to meet with me directly in order to make peace between Israel and Lebanon." While Beirut holds Jerusalem responsible for the war that devasted the country, Jerusalem maintains that Beirut is ultimately responsible for having allowed Hizballah to attack a neighboring state from sovereign Lebanese territory.