Peres to PA delegate: 'Why keep firing at us from Gaza?'

Vice Premier in Jordan for Nobel winners conference, calls for peace negotiations to move ahead based on 2002 Saudi initiative. Palestinian delegate, under banner of 'Naqba' day, says PA also wants initiative

Roee Nahmias
Published: 05.15.07, 18:42 / Israel News

"We must move from giving direct monetary aid to the Palestinian Authority, which encourages corruption – to financial aid," said Vice Premier Shimon Peres said on Tuesday at the third annual conference for Nobel Prize winners being held in the Jordanian city of Petra.

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Peres said that a strong and stable economy must be forged, creating thousands of jobs for Palestinians who would be able to boost their society out of poverty instead of the cash aid going only to those in power and breeding more corruption.

"What is this aid? You take money from the poor in one country and give it to the rich in another country. We must find a different fiscal solution, strengthen the economy and increase the number of jobs," said Peres.

In his speech Peres also slammed extremists within the Arab world. "The Arab world has a great problem – it cannot control Iran, Hamas and Hizbullah, that is your problem. Hamas is not interested in negotiations or peace with Israel and Hizbullah only wants to attack and rule and terrorize. That is the problem of the entire Arab world, not just Israel's."

The Palestinian delegate at the conference, former minister Yasser Abd Rabo, told the audience that on this day, the Palestinian Authority marks 59 years since the 'Naqba' – the disaster – following the formation of the state of Israel, as well as 40 years since Israel too the West Bank in the Six Day War.

Peres responded to Abd Rabo's statements and said Israel did not intend to occupy the territories, nor did it intend to keep them. "When we were attacked we needed to defend ourselves," said Peres.

The vice premier also addressed the Palestinian delegate's call for Israel to "end the occupation."

"We left Gaza and evacuated communities with great difficulty. Why did you continue to fire at us? We are ready to leave areas of the West Bank today, but can you assure us that you won't fire at us the day we leave?" asked Peres, referring to the incessant rocket fire from Gaza since the Disengagement in 2005.

The PA delegate said however that the 2002 Saudi peace initiative is an opportunity that must not be missed: "There is only one hope – the Arab peace initiative. Here there is an Arab decision to make a comprehensive peace with Israel and that must be taken advantage of."

Peres called the Saudi plan "music that hasn't been heard in over a century" and said that Israel is willing to sit down for serious negotiations as well as evacuate most of the territories. "But that will only be if Israel is recognized, terrorism stopped and the Palestinian rule reformed. If all that happens – we can have peace within 24 hours," he said.

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