Olmert: Misunderstanding might lead to war

(VIDEO) Prime minister meets US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, warns of 'miscalculations' that may push Syrian and Israel to a war none of them wants. Olmert says arms smuggling to Hizbullah must be stopped
Ronny Sofer

VIDEO - "We must be wary of miscalculations that might lead Syria and Israel to a conflict they are not interested in," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned Thursday in a meeting with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Olmert stressed that Israel does not plan to attack Syria.

In their meeting, the prime minister voiced concern regarding the increasing flow of arms from Syria to Hizbullah in Lebanon, and noted that the international community must ensure that UN Resolution 1701 is implemented in full and that the smuggling stops.

Video: Eli Mendelbaum

The two politicians referred to the strategic changes taking place in the Middle East, and to attempts by moderate Arab countries to tackle radical Islam, "The most immediate and central threat to stability in the Middle East."

Olmert said that these changes also influence the Arab countries' willingness to make peace with Israel and promote the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Gates and Olmert also discussed a series of regional issues, including the strategic and security relationships between the two states and developments in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian Authority.

Livni urges Gates to restrain Iran

Earlier Thursday, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni urged Gates to send a firm message to Iran over the country's refusal to put an end to its nuclear program.

"The free world is being tested by those countries that are being threatened by Iran, mostly its Arab and Muslim neighbors. Every hesitation is being interpreted as weakness, and it's only the world's determination that can preserve the moderate camp," Livni told Gates during their meeting in Jerusalem.

"We live in a neighborhood where impression is important, and if they get the impression that the world can beat the neighborhood's bully, the Arab countries will join the world," she added.