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Barak: Leftists causing doubts about peace
Labor chairman says 'responsible leftist officials' must support peace process, not bolster skepticism
Attila Somfalvi
Defense Minister Ehud Barak told
a Labor faction meeting Monday that certain left-wing political figures were sowing seeds of doubt in the peace process.
"There are voices in the Israeli Left, belonging to people who invested all of their political activity in taking advantage of every opportunity for peace, which are now bolstering doubt and skepticism," he said.
"I wouldn't like to go overboard and call it an attempt at stopping the process, but these are unhelpful and surprising comments," Barak added.
"I expect responsible leftists to act according to their deep and serious positions. I would expect leftist officials to say: 'We support you, and we are with you', and I hope people will come to their senses throughout the process."
At the opening of the meeting the Labor chairman spoke of his encounters with the US special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell.
"It appears as if the whole business is asleep or in the stages of becoming frozen, but I don't think this is an accurate picture. Underneath there is a profound desire, on both sides, to move on from the stalemate and I believe and hope that in the next two or three months we will see negotiations renewed," he said.
Referring to US President Barack Obama's interview with Time Magazine, in which he said his hopes for the Middle East had been excessive, Barak said, "Doubtlessly this view has caused all of the players in the region to have second thoughts about the alternatives."
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