Izraeli President
Peres opened the conference for Israeli ambassadors and heads of mission this morning at the Foreign Ministry
President Shimon Peres, this morning (Sunday, 5 January 2014), at the Foreign Ministry, officially opened the conference for Israeli ambassadors and heads of mission. President Peres opened the conference alongside Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Before speaking to Israel’s representatives across the world President Peres surveyed the MFA Situation Room which was opened during his tenure as Foreign Minister and laid a wreath at the memorial wall for MFA employees who fell in the service of their country<mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutTheMinistry/Pages/The%20Ambassadors%20of%20Peace%20Shall%20Weep%20Bitterly.aspx>.
President Peres addressed the negotiations with the Palestinians and said, „Since the creation of the State of Israel we have always faced more threats than opportunities, today for the first time the tables have turned and the opportunities are more tangible and promising than the dangers „This is the first time Israel is getting offers to upgrade the relationship with the European Union and the Arab League, who for the first time is willing to recognize Israel and understands that Israel is not the enemy. Don’t be confused, an economic boycott can be as damaging to Israel as the security threats. I was here when the state was founded, Ben Gurion faced fateful decisions which had great dangers and only small chances for success. Today Israel has great opportunities. „The State of Israel cannot stand on security alone, Israel needs diplomacy as well and it is the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to push forward a peace agreement.”
President Peres also addressed the Iranian nuclear threat and said, „I am concerned by Iran’s development of long range missiles. We must monitor the development of missiles in Iran and include that in an agreement – it requires cooperation between the US and Russia. It is hard to monitor uranium but much easier to monitor the means of delivery. Iran continues to supply arms to terrorist organizations and serves as a world center of terror.
