PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES ADDRESSES ISRAELI AMBASSADORS
President Shimon Peres today (Tuesday), 27.12.11, with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman in attendance, addressed the Foreign Ministry conference of Israeli ambassadors and representatives and responded to their questions on various issues.
On the Iranian nuclear issue, President Peres said that, „Iran is a real problem but it does not belong to Israel alone. We must neither monopolizing it nor fall into despair. Israel has real or seeming capabilities that provide deterrence. Nobody knows exactly what is in Dimona, but I must say that the imaginations and suspicions of countries in the Middle East about what is there are effective for Israeli deterrence and Israel has been wise enough over the years to maintain a policy of ambiguity. Let others be suspicious. Israel has answers on the Iranian issue as well. But dealing with it is the responsibility of the entire world and it cannot be turned into an Israeli monopoly.”
On the peace process with the Palestinians, President Peres said Israel’s image around the world is that of an occupier and added that this cannot be ignored. „The continuation of the conflict and the absence of negotiations between us and the Palestinians casts a heavy shadow on Israel’s image as a country that seeks peace and, moreover, constitutes a pretext for continuing to fan the flames of hatred against Israel, even in the framework of the demonstrations and protests that we expected as a result of the Arab Spring.” The President added that, „I esteem Abu Mazen and Salam Fayyad. I do not overlook the mistakes and errors that they have made, such as Abu Mazen’s meeting with the terrorist Amana Muna, but Israel will not have better partners for making peace. I believe that it is vital and possible to begin negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. I know that the problems between us will not be resolved in a day or a month, but it is possible to create a chain of agreements and means for resuming the peace process that could dramatically change Israel’s position and put us back on the track of a country that seeks peace. The fruits of peace cannot be ignored. The Palestinians are also well aware of its advantages. Israel has taken substantial steps to strengthen the Palestinian economy on the West Bank. Ramallah is lit up at night and the stock exchange in Nablus functions by day. There has been a substantial improvement in the economic and security situation, and the 15,000 security personnel deployed in the West Bank are loyal to Abu Mazen and are fighting terrorism. Both Israel and the Palestinians are enjoying the relative quiet on the West Bank.”
On the exclusion of women, President Peres said that, „Yesterday, we saw police personnel struggling for basic equal rights in Beit Shemesh. They did so on behalf of the entire country. Today’s demonstration is a test for the nation and not just for the police. All of us – religious, secular and traditional – must defend the image of the State of Israel against a minority that violates the national solidarity and expresses itself in infuriating fashion.” The President emphasized that nobody in Israel has the right to threaten a young girl, or woman or anybody, and added that those who rioted in Beit Shemesh and who exclude women in the public sphere are not the masters of the land, but rather citizens of the state who must obey the law. „In my view, there is no difference in this respect between the secular, the ultra-orthodox and the religious. We are fighting for the soul of the country and the content of the state. Today is a test for which the entire country must be mobilized in order to save the majority from a small minority. This obligation is upon us all. The ultra-orthodox public in Israel as a whole opposes these phenomena and condemns them. It is important that they continue to do so and to speak in a loud and clear voice,” the President said, adding that he appreciates the voices, among the ultra-orthodox leadership, against violence.
