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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert meeting with Barack Obama in Jerusalem on Thursday. (Flash 90)
Last update - 09:40 25/07/2008
Obama to PM: Iran action legitimate only if talks fail
By Barak Ravid and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Ehud Olmert, Barack Obama 

Near the close of his visit to Israel on Wednesday, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. A major topic of their long conversation was Obama's declared willingness to engage in direct dialogue with Tehran.

Obama reportedly told Olmert that he is interested in meeting the Iranians in order to issue clear ultimatums. "If after that, they still show no willingness to change their nuclear policy, then any action against them would be legitimate," an Israeli source quoted him as saying.

Obama said it is clear that the Iranian nuclear issue would be a top priority for him as president, but said that as part of the diplomatic effort to end Tehran's enrichment program, the Iranians must be given an opportunity to change.
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The presumptive nominee also emphasized the importance of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said he had been impressed by the Palestinians' assessment that there has been substantial progress in the talks.

Obama also met with Noam Shalit, whose son Gilad has been held captive in the Gaza Strip for over two years, as well as with the Goldwasser and Regev families. Shalit said Obama sympathized with the family and its public struggle to bring Gilad home. He declined to comment on whether Obama would intervene personally in talks for his son's release.

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      1.   Obama had better resort to diplomacy or else Iran will take the 00:50  |  lakshmi 25/07/08
      2.   5 years and deja vu 00:54  |  Arie 25/07/08
      3.   smart obama! 01:28  |  bashar 25/07/08
      4.   Obamammia the movie 01:45  |  Zev Percowitz 25/07/08
      5.   Is Obama a neocon? 01:48  |  Wendy 25/07/08
      6.   Ahmadinejad today says ... 02:05  |  zarebin 25/07/08
      7.   #1 Lakshmi 02:34  |  H 25/07/08
      8.   #1 Lakshmi - Act of War? 02:40  |  Pablo B 25/07/08
      9.   Obama Sympathy 02:42  |  juniper 25/07/08
      10.   Looks like Israel has only six months to take action 03:08  |  Voice of Reason 25/07/08
      11.   Democratic nomination was a scam! 03:23  |  James Hovland 25/07/08
      12.   How about recognition of Israel ? 03:23  |  Nahid 25/07/08
      13.   THE COWARD HUSSEIN OBAMA WILL TALK UNTIL THE NUKE LANDS IN 03:27  |  glenna 25/07/08
      14.   Tp Wendy in W Bloomfield-The answer is obvious 03:33  |  Arie 25/07/08
      15.   Why Talk If You`re Going To Issue An Ultimatum? 03:44  |  Jeff Northridge 25/07/08
      16.   Senator Obama is Right 03:46  |  MIKE 25/07/08
      17.   LAKSHMI 03:55  |  aspacia 25/07/08
      18.   bashar 04:00  |  aspacai 25/07/08
      19.   talks 04:12  |  Shmuelshachor 25/07/08
      20.   Obama`s Going to Stop the Mullahs ? Nobody Believes It 04:19  |  Tod Zuckerman 25/07/08
      21.   #7 Recognize Israel? 04:28  |  Lou Medel 25/07/08
      22.   HE HAS ALREADY TOLD IRAN AND THE WORLD HIS LEGITIMIZED ACTION 04:41  |  glenna 25/07/08
      23.   ObamaSama showing True COLORS 04:57  |  Fred 25/07/08
      24.   I Believe In Talking - If that fails, take action IF necessary 05:01  |  Phinias Whoppy 25/07/08
      25.   Country boy--asleep at the wheel! 05:04  |  Webster 25/07/08
      26.   That drooling sound 05:06  |  Tommy Artik 25/07/08
      27.   to Zev Percovits 05:51  |  susha 25/07/08
      28.   obama is a moron 05:53  |  david 25/07/08
      29.   to Wendy 05:56  |  susha 25/07/08
      30.   Pablo the simple 06:05  |  susha 25/07/08
      31.   Obama the IDIOT !! 06:17  |  John Fellows 25/07/08
      32.   Talking with Fanatics won`t work 06:20  |  Brod 25/07/08
      33.   What about India? 06:21  |  Maureen Ann 25/07/08
      34.   Here`s The Lowdown On Obama 07:44  |  Yosemite 25/07/08
      35.   Where is Albert Camus? 07:48  |  Mark of Lewiston 25/07/08
      36.   By The Way... 07:49  |  Yosemite 25/07/08
      37.   Define failure 08:01  |  Gili 25/07/08
      38.   We should not wait : tomorrow it might be too late. 08:08  |  Jean Van Daem 25/07/08
      39.   Indrajaya I Know You`re There! 08:44  |  Yosemite 25/07/08
      40.   Susha 08:54  |  Fred 25/07/08
      41.   #11 Nahid asks a question 09:10  |  Johnboy 25/07/08
      42.   If Israel Attacks Iran 09:12  |  Billy 25/07/08
      43.   #15 Jeff is another who only thinks in terms of threats 09:16  |  Johnboy 25/07/08
      44.   Why will they Listen to Mr Obama? 09:32  |  A.J. Myers 25/07/08
      45.   Obama will talk for 100 years 09:37  |  semsem 25/07/08
      46.   Iran &obama 09:40  |  Millicent 25/07/08
      47.   Zero 09:55  |  Clickfool 25/07/08
      48.   Act of War 10:27  |  Likmee 25/07/08
      49.   Iran action legitimate only if talks fail 10:29  |  TonyL 25/07/08
      50.   WHAT A BLOODY BORE! 10:34  |  Fritz 25/07/08
      51.   pablo B 10:38  |  Pabum 25/07/08
      52.   Got nukes but won`t use them 10:41  |  no whiner 25/07/08
      53.   Obama has just lost the Presidency 10:41  |  D 25/07/08
      54.   OBAMA in LONDON 10:43  |  Shimon Cleopas 25/07/08
      55.   Obama for Change? 10:47  |  maoriboy 25/07/08
      56.   # 21 Recognize Lou 10:48  |  Joseph 25/07/08
      57.   Even Clickfool #42 doesn`t understand what Obama wants 11:03  |  S 25/07/08
      58.   U.S. war criminal warned of arrest in New Zealand 11:22  |  maoriboy 25/07/08
      59.   Why? Ma Nishtanah? 11:42  |  ATLAS 25/07/08
      60.   OBAMA in PARADISE 11:42  |  Shimon Cleopas 25/07/08
      61.   Obama and the "CHANGE" 11:49  |  Persian Hero 25/07/08
      62.   While In Paradise 12:21  |  Shimon Cleopas 25/07/08
      63.   Earth to Obama: talks failed a long time ago 12:39  |  Realist 25/07/08
      64.   to Maoriboy 12:41  |  Victoria 25/07/08
      65.   re: Obama has lost the presidency 12:55  |  Victoria 25/07/08
      66.   WHY is he acting as if he already was the President of the U.S? 13:15  |  AliciaYasmeen 25/07/08
      67.   nice photograph 13:16  |  christoph 25/07/08
      68.   8 Pablo B & 17 Aspacia,Pablo B. the case is 13:18  |  lakshmi 25/07/08
      69.   17 Aspacia,the 1967 war was a different ball game altogether! 13:22  |  lakshmi 25/07/08
      70.   Iran to Obama: Iranian action legitimate to retaliate if Iran is 13:24  |  Aounist 25/07/08
      71.   Fairy Tale 13:26  |  Robert 25/07/08
      72.   Is Obama calling President Amadi-jihad a liar?