[It would be nice if he'd said this when he was the great left hope rather than now when his approval rating is in the low single digits. Still, it's kind of remarkable in the rest of the article how broad the agreement seems to be that this is a valid place to start. That's a stunning about-face from all previous history. I wonder if anything will come of it.]
[BTW, this was mentioned in passing in Just Foreign Policy News, but I thought it deserved more publicity.]
URL: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/799132.html
December 11, 2006
Haaretz
Peretz: Saudi initiative must serve as basis for talks with
Palestinians
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent
Defense Minister Amir Peretz speaking to the Israel Business
Conference on Sunday. (Motti Kimche)
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The Saudi peace initiative, which calls for a two-state solution along
the 1967 borders, must be used as a basis for negotiations between
Israel and the Palestinians, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said on
Sunday.
Israel has thus far avoided official consideration - at least publicly
- of the 2002 initiative which calls on Israel to withdraw to the 1967
borders in return for a comprehensive peace agreement with the
Palestinians and other Arab states.
The proposal also calls for an "agreed and just solution" to the
Palestinian refugee issue, in accordance with UN Resolution 194.
Resolution 194 says, among other things, that "refugees wishing to
return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be
permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date."
Speaking to delegates from the Israel Business Conference, Peretz said
Israel must present a "real political horizon" to Palestinian leaders
if it intends to enter successful negotiations. Israel "must deal with
the Saudi initiative as a basis for negotiations," Peretz added.
Peretz made a similar comment in October in an address to an academic
conference at Tel Aviv University, when he said "We could see the
Saudi initiative as the basis for negotiation," adding, "this does not
mean that we are adopting the Saudi initiative, but it can serve as a
basis."
Former Shin Bet chief, MK Ami Ayalon, made a similar statement in
support of the initiative on Sunday in an address to a closed session
of the Saban Forum in Washington, which he attended alongside Minister
Avigdor Lieberman
"The war in Lebanon created an opportunity that obligates Israel to
motivate a new political process on the basis of the road map and the
Saudi initiative, which recognizes Israel's right to exist," Ayalon
said.
Labor MK Ophir Pines-Paz told U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman in Washington
that Israel must consider the initiative under certain conditions,
especially given the fact that the Hamas-led Palestinian government is
refusing to accept the international conditions for the resumption of
negotiations, leading to a dead end in the relations with the
Palestinians.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert alluded to a change in Israel's policy two
weeks ago in an address at Kibbutz Sde Boker. "The voices emanating
from those [Arab] states regarding the need for recognition and
normalization of relations with the State of Israel - including, for
example, some parts in the Saudi peace initiative - are positive," he
said, adding, "I intend to invest efforts in order to advance the
connection with those states and strengthen their support of direct
bilateral negotiations between us and the Palestinians."
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