PM on Tunisia: Hope calm will be restored

Netanyahu ties unrest in North African country to negotiations with PA, says any agreement must guarantee security 'in case peace unravels.' Minister Shalom: Developments in Tunisia, Lebanon prove Israeli-Palestinian conflict not source of regional instability

Ronen Medzini|Published: 01.16.11 , 11:33

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting that Israel was following the developments in Tunisia "closely."

Addressing the riots in the North African nation and the political crisis in Lebanon, the premier said, "Our region is unstable. Anyone can see that there are a number of centers of instability in the region we live in. We hope calm and security will be restored."

Netanyahu linked the civil unrest to the stalled negotiations with the Palestinians, saying, "The lesson here is clear – we must have security foundations in any agreement we reach. We can’t sign a peace deal, close our eyes and that's it.

"We need solid security arrangements, because peace can also unravel. There can be governmental changes, and therefore the government's policy is to secure arrangements of peace and security that will guarantee stability in case peace unravels," he said.

Minister Silvan Shalom, who was born in Tunisia, said "for many years people have said that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the source of regional instability, but now we see three centers of instability that are not connected to Israel: Tunisia, Lebanon and Sudan.

"The claim that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the cause of instability in the Middle East is nothing more than a myth," he added.

Shalom also expressed his hope that calm would be restored in Tunisia. "This is indeed a historic development. Tunisia is a moderate country with ties to the West. We are following the developments – also because of our relations with (Tunisia) - and we hope the international community will prevent Islamist elements from taking over the country," said the minister.