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Shimon Peres at Herzliya Conference
Photo: Uri Porat
Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah
Photo: AFP

Peres grateful to Nasrallah, Ahmadinejad

Vice premier says Iranian president is doing a great job. 'Without him, the world would not unite in an anti-Persian policy,' he tells Herzliya Conference

The Iranian president will be the one to fall, not Israel, Vice Premier Shimon Peres told the Herzliya Conference on Monday.

 

"I went through Israel's 60 years of history and I am telling you, there were tougher days," he said.

 

"I am grateful to Nasrallah and to Ahmadinejad," Peres added. "Nasrallah said that the people of Israel know how to learn a lesson and draw lessons from the events they go through, and I am grateful to Ahmadinejad for doing a great job. Without him the world would not unite in an anti-Persian policy."

 

According to Peres, there is an entire group of people in Israel attempting to scare the public over Iran.

 

"I believe that there is an unreliable regime in Iran. Look what is happening there following the light pressure exerted by the Security Council, so let's not be so superficial and pessimistic," he said.

 

'Israel is not corrupt'

Peres noted that the Iranian issue could be dealt with politically and economically. He implicitly criticized Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Sunday that "this is not 1938, Hitler won't come and we will not stand aside."

 

Addressing the Syrian issue, Peres said that "Syria will not declare war and will only find itself facing Israel. Therefore, it is so important for us to go with the United States. Syria wants peace in order to fix the mistakes made by Assad Sr."  

 

Peres also referred to recent corruption affairs, stating that "Israel is not a corrupt country. I believe that that 65 percent of the accusations will turn out to be false."

 

Addressing the conflict with the Palestinians, Peres said that the three main problems were borders, Jerusalem and the refugees.

 

"On the border issue we are close to reaching a solution, as we have agreed to return 90 percent of the West Bank territories. On the refugee issue, Israel has told the Arab world that there is nothing to talk about, and even the Saudi document does not talk about the right of return anymore. Regarding Jerusalem, there are things that everyone agrees about and there are additional issues that have to be discussed."

 

The vice premier also stressed that Israel must not interfere in the Fatah-Hamas clashes in the Palestinian Authority.

 

Peres added that he supported the US stance, which views Syria as part of the axis of evil.

 

"The United States believed that (Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad) Siniora should control Lebanon and it cannot go with Syria, while Syria wants to strengthen Hizbullah and is sponsoring Khaled Mashaal," he concluded.

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.22.07, 15:51
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