"Why not? I don't have enemies; it's not a matter of a person but of a policy. The purpose is to convert enemies into friends," said President Shimon Peres in answer to a question by CNN host Richard Quest at the opening session of the "Globes" 2013 Israel Business Conference, if he would be willing to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. "If it was only him I'd take it with greater assurance but there are other structures, other people. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard, half army and half organization, spreads terror all over the world and I'm not so sure they support the president. We have to see the balance of the situation."
Peres opened his remarks with a tribute to Nelson Mandela, saying, "He is the only man whom I knew that we should want to be like. He is a shining example. He walked on the enlightened side of our lives."
Asked about Israel's complex relations with Mandela, Peres said, "We met several times on very friendly terms."
Peres and Quest discussed Israel's negotiations with the Palestinians. Peres said, "We're still negotiating. If it was concluded we would have to negotiate. There are two major problems; Israel's security after our experience when we left Gaza which made many Israelis reluctant to do likewise in the West Bank. On the other hand is the problem of our existence as a Jewish state, a state where the Jewish people are a majority. It's not a matter of declarations; it's a matter of numbers."
Asked about US Secretary of State John Kerry's proposals for Israel's security in the Jordan Valley, Peres said, "They are good, but I am not sure if they will be accepted by the parties."
Asked whether it would be possible to reach an agreement with the Palestinians within the timetable set for it, Peres said, "Yes, it is possible. It's complicated to negotiate, not only with the other side but also with your own people, to convince them that it's a plan that will make them safe."
Commenting on the confrontation with the US over the agreement with Iran, Peres said, "The problem is what will happen in the coming six months; it's a trial period. President Obama said that for him also this is a trial and gave an estimate of 50/50 as to whether it will succeed. We have to concentrate all our efforts to make sure Iran doesn't become a nuclear danger to the rest of the world."
Peres said that, in his opinion, relations with the US have not been harmed. "Israelis are afraid, and the US believes that this is the best option. I definitely believe that relations are intact. I agree that the best thing is to keep the arguments between us, and I believe that President Obama is a true friend of Israel."
Asked if Israel was alone against Iran, Peres replied, "I am not sure. In some wars Israel was alone, and with an arms embargo, we were truly alone. Today, everyone knows that the Ayatollahs' regime with a nuclear weapon is a threat to the whole world. Russia and China don’t want Iran to have a nuclear bomb either."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 8, 2013
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