Israel Matzav

Peres: Consolidation in the West Bank during the coming year

The article below is an article that I translated from the Hebrew original at the request of Harvey in Efrat, who sent it to me, and David Bedein, who sent it to him. For those of you who read Hebrew and want to critique my translating skills, you will find the original here. Note that this article has not been published anywhere else in Israel in any language. Ehud Olmert and Shimon Peres don't want you to read this!

David points out the following:

Ottawa

While here in Canada, I asked a colleague to cover Peres's presentation in Toronto, where he promises withdrawal, no matter what, from Judea and Samaria, within the year. He made this statement in the presence of Monica's friend, to whom he had given this same commitment in 1993.

It was Peres who made the commitment to the US Administration during summer 1993 for a complete relinquishment of Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan from Israeli sovereignty - as confirmed by Beilin, his deputy, on December 8th, 1993 in a tape recorded press conference and as confirmed by Steve Rodan in the Jerusalem Post on December 10th 1993. After that, our agency distributed the Beilin statement under "poodle productions" for all to hear.

No one believed this at the time. Now the time has come to believe and to act accordingly.

The theme has to be: withdrawal a threat to Gush Dan and to the rest of Israel - not only to the people who live in Judea and Samaria and...the Golan.. [Gee, I suggested that strategy two months ago. CiJ].

When I offered to translate this, I told David - based on several posts I've made here over the last couple of days that I didn't think anyone was supporting it and that it would not happen.
David responded:

Sharon did not get the money from the USA last year and gave the impression that he did and carried it out anyway.

Olmert's strategy is to force people out without compensation by making it as uncomfortable as possible to remain in Yosh [Judea and Samaria. CiJ]

And now, without further ado:

The Deputy Prime Minister on a visit to Canada

Peres: Consolidation in the West Bank during the coming year

The Deputy Prime Minister believes that the consolidation in the West Bank will take place within the year if there is no change on the Palestinian side. The Israeli goal: “to get rid of the occupation that is against everything we believe.”

By: Yehonatan Doha-HaLevi www.Nfc.co.il

Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres visited in Toronto this week (15 May 2006) and participated in a “forum of world leaders” to raise money and investors to develop the Middle East together with former President Bill Clinton. Two hundred and fifty persons of the cream of Canada’s crop participated in the event at the Windsor Arms Hotel. Each of them paid 3000 dollars per plate for the festive dinner.

In his speech before the audience of business people, Peres focused on the importance of advancing the diplomatic process in the Middle East, and continued his unyieldingly optimistic approach. He noted that Israel “wishes to rid itself of the occupation, because it conflicts with everything that we believe. We did not leave the house of slavery in Egypt to be masters in another place. Without moral justification, the Jewish people has no existence,” said Peres.

Peres noted that the Israeli government clarified that it is prepared to open negotiations and to respond favorably to most Palestinian demands, but the Palestinians are divided and there is no partner with which to negotiate an arrangement. According to Peres, Israel will wait for half a year to one year, and then if there is no change on the Palestinian side, Israel will act unilaterally in order to bring about the occupation’s end.

Peres emphasized that the unilateral approach is not ideological, but is the last outlet in the absence of any other possibility. “Politics is constructed on schedules, but to organizations that are governed by religion, like Hamas, the schedule is always perpetual,” said Peres, adding that the withdrawal in Judea and Samaria will be broader than that of the Gaza Strip.

Later in his speech, Peres talked about the importance of the economy as a factor in advancing discussions between countries and peace, and said, “We want to privatize peace and allow companies and investors to create links that countries failed to make. This is how it was in Europe in 1944… when you sign an agreement, things can change.”

When he was asked in a newspaper interview for the source of his characteristic optimism, Peres answered that he prefers being an idealist to being a cynic, because pessimists and optimists die the same way, but live completely differently.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:15 PM