[lbo-talk] Peretz in Haaretz: 2002 Saudi peace plan is the right basis for talks with the Palestinians

Michael Pollak mpollak at panix.com
Tue Dec 19 07:36:54 PST 2006


[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)

[0.gif]

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."

© Copyright Haaretz. All rights reserved



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