Former prime minister Ehud Olmert blamed right-wing extremists in the
United States for the collapse of peace negotiations with the
Palestinian Authority, in an interview with CNN released Friday.
Speaking at the sidelines of this week´s Jerusalem Post Conference in
New York on Sunday, Olmert said his peace plan would have been
accepted by the Israeli public, but was hampered by radical elements
in the Jewish diaspora. "I had to fight against superior powers," he
said, "including millions and millions of dollars that were
transferred from this country by figures from the extreme right wing."
Olmert added that figures "wanted to prevent the government, led by
me, from achieving peace on the basis of principles I outlined."
The former prime minister said that his political career was killed
by his attempt at peace-making, but added that he pursued his course
for the good of the nation. "I paid personally, dearly, but there was
no other option for me but to do what I did," he said.
