Meanwhile, the Bush administration is trying to downplay controversy over Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s claim he successfully lobbied President Bush not to support a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution last week. Olmert said his phone call to Bush led to the US abstention. He also claimed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was left “shamed” because she had taken part in the ceasefire talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: “He gave an order to the Secretary of State, and she did not vote in favor of it — a resolution she cooked up, phrased, organized and maneuvered for. She was left pretty shamed, abstaining from voting on the resolution.”

On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Tony Fratto rejected Olmert’s claim, but didn’t offer specifics.

White House spokesperson Tony Fratto: “I’m not going to get into discuss — I know the State Department has done that and as Secretary Rice was asked about it last night, and I don’t really have more to add to it, but there is —”

Reporter: “When you say reporting on this, I mean, these are actually Olmert’s words. I mean, he actually said this, so —”

Fratto: “Yeah, there are inaccuracies.”

Reporter: “In what Olmert said?”

Fratto: “Yes.”