Interview: Peres Prefers Lonesome Dove than Collective Hawk

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 25, 2002

Interview: Peres Prefers Lonesome Dove than Collective Hawk

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Israeli senior politician Shimon Peres expressed in an interview with Xinhua on Sunday his persistence in seeking peace with the Palestinian, saying he prefers to be a lonesome dove than a collective hawk.

Peres, who resigned as foreign minister after the Labor Party's withdrawal from the coalition government led by hawkish Ariel Sharon one month ago, said he believes that the ongoing bloodshed between Israel and the Palestinians will bring both sides nowhere.

The veteran Israeli leader said in his office in Tel Aviv that the two sides will have to make compromise, the sooner the better, because any postponement will pay high price, "economic price and waste of lives".

In the past over two years of bloody conflict, Peres was often targeted by Israeli hawks from the right for his signing the Oslo Accord together with assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat nine years ago.

Asked on the future of the Oslo Accord, Peres said, "Oslo Accordis very much alive. Killing it is not a solution."

Peres criticized Prime Minister Sharon's claim that the "Oslo agreement is dead", saying "I don't think Israeli government will abolish the Oslo Accord, even Sharon is re-elected."

"There is a big difference between declaration and reality" and "prime ministers will not change the reality, but the reality will change prime ministers," the 79-year-old politician added.

"We have six years of changing governments frequently. Why? Because they didn't pay attentions on the reality. The reality is that a Palestinian state is an existence," Peres said.

He said the Oslo Accord, which made a Palestinian state possible, is still the solution to the over two years of bloodshed, even its implementation was interrupted when Benjamin Netanyahu came into power as Israeli prime minister in 1996.

"Oslo is very much alive, I didn't see some thing supposed be dead that is so much alive," Peres said, referring to the increasing criticism against the peace agreement signed nine years ago.

The dove leader said the most success of the Oslo Accord is that most of the Israelis agree that a Palestinian state should be established.

Peres believed that the roadmap on Mideast peace brought up by US President Gorge W. Bush is a continuation of Oslo.

"Before the President made his decision, he had consulted with (Palestinian parliament speaker) Abu Ala and myself. We have reached a number of understandings on it," he said.

Peres agreed with the newly elected Labor Party chairman Amram Mitzna's proposal to withdrawal from the Gaza strip unilaterally and give one year for the Palestinians to make peace with Israelis.

He said he believes that Mitzna will lead the Labor Party into anew path and bring more opportunities for the Labors in the coming general elections scheduled for Jan. 28 next year.

As to the coming Israeli general elections, Peres said that the next government must have a clear program, adding Sharon believes he had a program, but it has no date and without goals.

Responding to Netanyahu's statement of granting Palestinians with permanent autonomy instead of a state, Peres sneered that "this is nonsense".

"I doubt Netanyahu will be elected. If he was elected, it's a mistake," he added.

Racing for the Likud leader and the premiership with his major rival Sharon, Netanyahu denies the statehood for Palestinians, saying that if elected he will first expel Palestinian National Authority Chairman Arafat.

Peres said Likud might win the elections, but the Labor is now gaining more and more supports from the voters.

"People have two hearts as to the elections, one full of anger and irritation, and the other full of hope and aspiration," he said, adding the Labor will not lose hope of forming the next government.

Peres said Likud now leads the opinion poll, but "you can never conduct politics only according to polls", which is like perfume - something nice to smell but dangerous to swallow.

When asked what role he will play in the next government, Peres responded that "I am not looking for a post", but hope to play a role to help peace process "in every possible way I can."

In the corridor to his heavily-safeguarded office, there are pictures with Peres, Arafat and late Rabin on the occasion of signing the Oslo Accord.

Commenting on Arafat, Peres seemed somewhat cautious in selecting words. "Arafat is criticized for not leaving office. Under this man the Palestinians still have many militant groups fighting separately, and we don't see an (effective) Palestinian leadership."

However, Peres also noted that "I think Arafat has done some important things. He was the first Palestinian to recognize the state of Israel, he suggested the compromised border line of pre-1967 war, and he called to stop using terror for political aspirations."

Peres hoped the next Israeli government won't expel Arafat. "I can't guarantee but I hope they won't do it. We are not to choose the leaders of Palestinians. The anger arousing from expelling Arafat will not make his influence down but up," he said.

Peres denied the report that the Israeli government has tried tofind an African country to deport Arafat to, saying it is "foolish" to do so.

Peres noted that the Iraq subject is overshadowing the Palestinian subject, but the Palestinian issue should not be connected to the Iraq issue, because people can't wait and see the price of conflict continuously being paid everyday.

The Palestinians and Israelis should live in "modern lives", which means no terror and no occupation, he said.

"Some Israelis say we can't have peace with Palestinians, this is not the case," Peres said, explaining that "most Jordanians are Palestinian origin. They have exactly the same religion and same language. We have peace with Jordanians, why can not with Palestinians?"

"Peace depends not on people, not on land, but it depends on political leaders and policies," he said, stressing that "for me, I'd rather be a lonesome dove than a collective hawk."

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