Israel Matzav

Shimon Peres' strange 'reality'

'Moderate' 'Palestinian President' Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen must be a very frustrated man. No matter how many times he says "no," some Israelis continue to hear yes. Take Shimon Peres, for instance. Shimon Peres lives in his own world and his has own 'reality.' The problem with Shimon Peres' 'reality' is not so much that Peres himself believes it: It's that the Olmert-Barak-Livni government apparently believes it too.

This morning I reported that Abu Mazen had said "no" to 'exchanging' Israeli territory with an Arab population for the areas of Judea and Samaria in which many Jews reside. Abu Mazen made that statement yesterday. And yet, Shimon Peres, in an interview later yesterday with the Japanese newspaper Nikkei Business Daily insisted that by the fall, Israel will reach the principles of a 'settlement' with the 'Palestinians.' Unless Peres has in mind going back to the 1967 borders (in which case he wouldn't be talking about needing time to work out "the geographical outline of a future Palestinian state"), Abu Mazen isn't interested. In which case, I don't see how we're going to reach any 'principles' by the fall. But there are more delusional statements in Peres' interview:

"I think we have a good chance now because the whole world is supporting (Palestinian president Mahmoud) Abbas," he told the paper.

Except for Hamas, all of the Arab countries and the Europeans - all of whom would rather see Abu Mazen and Haniyeh have a sulha and otherwise think Israel should be negotiating with Hamas.

"To work out the details (of the political if not the geographical outline of a future Palestinian state) will take more time, but (as for) principles, yes, we can achieve an agreement" before the autumn peace conference, he said.

What are the 'political details' in this case if not geographical? Does Peres plan to insist that Fatahstan be 'democratic'? And if so, how does he think he will enforce that agreement? As to the 'geographical' outline, see above.

Improved economic conditions in areas governed by the Palestinian Authority will lead to a greater likelihood of it accepting the idea of peaceful coexistence with Israel, Peres said.

"We shall go in a policy of two tracks, economic development and political negotiations, one complementary to the other but not dependent upon it," he said.

This may be the biggest delusion of all: If the 'Palestinians' have prosperity, they will give up on their desire to kill the Jews and destroy Israel. The 'Palestinians' have never shown any interest in anything economic. Money won't solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. It's not about money any more than it's about land: It's about Israel's existence. The sooner that we wake up to that reality and shout it to the world, the sooner there's even the slightest chance that the world will stop listening to 'Israeli President Shimon Peres.'

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:57 AM