[IMRA: It should be noted that earlier this week FM Livni declined to reject
the assertion of the PA that the "commitments to disband the terrorist
organizations" could be met by simply giving all the members of the
terrorist organizations day jobs as PA cops. Under this arrangement they
would, as cops, remain armed. In fact, their shooting skills might even be
improved by trainers from various contributing nations.]

Acting PM Olmert Meets With US Senator Joseph Biden, Ranking Democrat on the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met this evening (Wednesday), 25.1.06,
with US Senator Joseph Biden Jr. (D-DE), the ranking Democrat on the US
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who has arrived in Israel on the
occasion of the Palestinian Authority (PA) elections.

US Sen. Biden complimented Acting Prime Minister Olmert on the latter's
speech yesterday to the Herzliya Conference ()
yesterday and thanked him for allowing the elections to proceed in eastern
Jerusalem. The Acting Prime Minister replied that Israel decided to enable
the elections to be held in a proper fashion according to democratic norms.

Acting Prime Minister Olmert said that he would be happy to discuss the
Roadmap with PA Chairman Abu Mazen, adding that the Palestinian leader must
meet his commitments to disband the terrorist organizations, especially
Hamas. The Acting Prime Minister said that negotiations must be based on
trust and asked how it was possible to trust a system in which Hamas people
were members? He recalled that as Mayor of Jerusalem he has exposed to
terrorism more than anyone and said that those scenes would never leave him.

Acting Prime Minister Olmert said that Israel could not accept a situation
in which Hamas - in its current format as a terrorist organization that
calls for the destruction of the State of Israel - would be part of the PA
and would not disarm. He said: "I will not negotiate with a government that
does not meet its most basic obligations - to fight terrorism. We are
prepared to assist the Palestinians and Abu Mazen very much but they must
meet their commitments."

US Senator Biden said that the international community, including the
Europeans, was united in its view that now, after the disengagement, the
time had come for the Palestinians to act because Israel proved with the
disengagement the seriousness of its intentions to advance the diplomatic
process.

The two men also discussed Iran's efforts to arm itself with nuclear
weapons.