Amir Peretz
צילום: יואב גלאי
Peretz: We must try to reach deal with PA
Defense minister calls on PM to utilize negotiations with Palestinians to the fullest before embarking on unilateral moves; 'I believe Olmert will exert sincere, real, serious efforts to reach agreement with Palestinians before any decision on unilateral plan,' he says
Despite recent tensions with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz called on the prime minister Monday to utilize the negotiations option to the fullest and try and implement the convergence program in agreement with the Palestinians, before embarking on unilateral moves.
In a Jerusalem conference of the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, Peretz said: "There is no doubt that the security forces will sensitively and firmly implement any decision made by the government and the Knesset and will operate against any lawbreakers, also beyond the Green Line."
According to Peretz, "the convergence plan, which is aimed at setting the State of Israel's permanent borders and guaranteeing its future as a Jewish and democratic state, is at the center of the government's Basic Principles. I hope the plan will be realized in agreement with the Palestinian side and with full international support."
"I believe that the prime minister, as he has promised, will indeed exert sincere, real and serious effort to reach an agreement with the Palestinians before any decision on a unilateral convergence plan," Peretz added.
He went on to say that "there is an unequivocal democratic majority among the State's citizens and the Knesset to realize the plan. Dominating another people has not been good for us. The sooner we liberate ourselves from it, while changing the distorted preference of the settlement area beyond the Green Line at the expense of the State of Israel's social periphery, the better."
"Returning into the boundaries of the State of Israel, including the settlement blocs, is not only a diplomatic, security and democratic need, but also a basic and moral necessity which will affect the Israeli society," he added.
'Connection between government money must stop'
The defense minister then turned his attention to the war on corruption, saying that the phenomenon has been increasing since 2001.
“Israel is more corrupt than countries like Estonia and Portugal. The ties between the government and money are growing stronger,” he said.
“There is a direct link between society’s situation, transparency and corruption. As poverty increases, so does corruption. Poverty coupled with a minority’s wealth is characteristic of third world countries.
“Unfortunately, social solidarity is withering away, compassion is disappearing and the weak are being alienated. I consider my mission in government to stop the erosion. The connection between government and money must be stopped, both on the private and personal levels.”
Peretz added: “The scope of undeclared capital is incomprehensible – between NIS 60-100 (USD 13.5-22 million) a year. A black economy is flourishing right under the nose of the authorities. The losses the country incurs in the black market can solve all of our social problems.
“There is a black underworld that constitutes a moral stain that must not be accepted. A war must be declared on the black economy,” he concluded.
