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At AIPAC, Peres Says Israel is Ready for Peace

By Philip Klein on 5.4.09 @ 12:25PM

Israeli President Shimon Peres, speaking this morning at the annual AIPAC Policy Conference, clearly sought to play down reports of a strain in U.S.-Israeli relations with the new Obama and Netanyahu administrations. "There is no difference between our position and the American position," he said, "We want peace."

Peres had high praise for President Obama. "You are young enough to offer hope to the world," he said. "You are strong enough to see it come to light." He wished Obama success and "Godspeed" and said, "We trust the leadership of President Obama."

Peres said he would be meeting with Obama tomorrow, and that Netanyahu would be later this month. While Peres reminded the audience that he was once a political opponent of Netanyahu, he said that he knows the new prime minister is a man of peace. Netanyahu "wants to be making history, and in our tradition making history is making peace." He empashized, "peace is his priority." Peace can happen right way, through regional and bilateral agreements, Peres said.

The problem with Peres's speech was that all of the rosy talk obscured the very real differences that exist between Obama and Netanyahu. Netanyahu campaigned on the view that peace talks are futile at the current moment given a split in Palestinian leadership with Hamas in contol of Gaza and Fatah in control of the West Bank; the Obama administration sees the peace process as a good in and of itself, regardless of whether there are any realistic prospects that it can actually achieve peace. Netanyahu sees the Iranian nuclear threat as the more pressing issue than a peace agreement with the Palestinians; the Obama administration has the opposite point of view. The Obama administration has left the door open to recognizing a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas; Netanyahu would never recognize a government in which a terrorist group dedicated to Israel's destruction played a leading role.

No amount of lofty rhetoric -- either from Peres or Obama -- is going to paper over these substantial differences, which will inevitably cause tension between the two allies.

View all comments (15) | Leave a comment

MattSwartz| 5.4.09 @ 12:54PM

http://news.google.com/news?q=jane harman&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wn

While there may be some ideological differences there, it's nice to see that Obama and Peres agree on one thing:

They both think it's perfectly fine if Israel commits criminal espionage against the US, gets caught attempting to bribe a Congresswoman on the phone, and then gets all charges dropped.

Jane Harman should be in prison right now for what she's done, but I guess Israel and it's agents are somehow special.

Blacque Jacques Shellacque| 5.4.09 @ 2:41PM

"There is no difference between our position and the American position," he said, "We want peace."

And as has been the case since Oslo, that's unlikely to happen, barring a change in the Palestinian mindset. (fat chance, that)

Shimon Peres appears to be the living embodiment of insanity.

Saint Michael Traveler| 5.4.09 @ 3:09PM

President Obama and Expectations: Israel and the Palestinians:

How do we categorize the fighters of the wars of 1775-1783, the wars of American Independence? The forces from the 13 colonies assembled and fought an asymmetric war against the organized forces of England. When the members of these American forces were captured by the English forces, often they were killed and labeled as terrorists.

How do we label the defense-liberation forces of Lebanon and Palestine? Do we call these terrorists because they have been fighting those who have occupied their land, killed their families and children? As Americans would we fight for the defense of our homeland? Those who help the people of Palestine and Lebanon are called the sponsors of terrorists. France helped our forces to fight the British forces. Were French sponsoring the American terrorists?

The success or failure of the administration of President Obama with Israel would determine the nature of future stability for the Middle East. Any rational and humanistic resolution of Palestinian dilemma has been non-starter with Israel. The problems of Palestinian subjugation to Israel occupation are the seeds for an unstable world including the Middle East.

The Palestinian issue, over 40 years of baffling by Israel throwing one excuse after another to derail any prospect, is independent of any other world concern for the US administration. Secretary of State Clinton should not allow Israel to dictate the foreign policy of the United States. USA can’t afford war after war to support failed attempts to stabilize the region. Palestinians have paid a high price for failed attempts to consider the human side of the Palestinians struggle for peaceful life.

The problem of Iranian nuclear fuel cycle is just a diversion from the real problems in the Middle East, the problem is a humanistic resolution of Palestinian dilemma.

A suggested process to calm the Middle East: Stable Middle East: Iran, Israel and Nuclear Bomb http://stmichaeltraveler.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/stable-middle-east-iran-israel-and-nuclear-bomb/

NavyBrat| 5.4.09 @ 4:04PM

Nice try at moral equivalency, St. Michael Traveler. As is usually the case with liberal thoughts, you gloss over the fact that the "freedom fighters" of Palestine & Lebanon are the ones sworn to the destruction of all Jews & Israel itself. THEY are the ones who send their kids onto busses or into markets with suicide vests full of ball bearings, telling them that they are doing the will of Allah. These "freedom fighters" kneecapped Gaza residents who didn't want their houses used as supply depots or launching pads for kassam rockets. These "freedom fighters" hid out in, & conducted attacks from HOSPITALS & SCHOOLS!!! The colonials didn't do that. You cheapen our history by likening the fight of those patriots to the war of total annihilation that Hamas & Hezbollah have declared on Isreal & Jews everywhere. Tell, you what. Move to Sderot for a year or two & then come back & tell us if you still think that Hamas is engaged in something as "noble" as a fight for "liberation." Tell us what it's like watching kids run home from school or school bus stops to avoid the daily rocket fire (they do this on purpose, targeting kids when they know they'll be in the open-noble, yes?). Go pitch that fart in a gale of moral equivalency elsewhere. We ain't buying.

George Washington| 5.4.09 @ 6:37PM

George Washington on Israel

"A passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification." ~George Washington Farewell Address

"The nation which indulges toward another habitual hatred or habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interests." ~ George Washington

"Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none." ~ Thomas Jefferson

MattSwartz| 5.4.09 @ 6:39PM

I'm not arguing for or against moral equivalency, because I'm not sure it exists anywhere, much less in the Middle East, but I do notice that you have absolutely zero to say about Israel's well-documented targeting of civilians.

"They did it first" is not an acceptable line of argumentation for adults. It's actually more infantile than the rest of what you have to say, which is no small achievement.

Muslims and Jews don't live up to Christian standards of ethical conduct in wartime. Big surprise. I just don't see why you're engaging in that filthy battle as an American. Even being able to pick a side between such villains is indicative of a moral cancer, in my opinion.

George Washington| 5.4.09 @ 6:39PM

George Washington on Israel

"Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none." ~ Thomas Jefferson

Sean| 5.4.09 @ 7:11PM

There is no chance of peace in the short term in that region without one side annihilating the other. As I see it peace will come about in about 70 years as the Arab population in Israel itself grows and slowly gains power. Those outside Israel will continue to live impoverished lives outside of any stable state as the Arabs in Jordan, Egypt and Israel will probably not want them.

plistna| 5.4.09 @ 7:32PM

Israel is doomed in the long term if it does not come to the realization that there is no way that the majority of inhabitants will tolerate being an underclass. There's only two choices: 1) create a true two state solution, which allows Israel to be mostly Jewish, or 2) create a true democracy with equal rights for all inhabitants (and in which Jews will be a minority). That's the only two viable choices for Israelis. Using "terrorism" as an excuse to do nothing will eventually lead to the the second outcome, Israel as racist state that once existed but was overcome by changing demographics.

Saint Michael Traveler| 5.4.09 @ 8:25PM

comment to plistna:
I agree with you on the issue "1. create a true two state solution, which allows Israel to be mostly Jewish, or 2) create a true democracy with equal rights for all inhabitants (and in which Jews will be a minority). "
Would you please read my take on the same issue:
"Federal States of Israel and Palestine as One Nation"
http://straveler-myamerica.blogspot.com/2008/05/federal-states-of-israel-and-palestine.html

I concluded that:"I suggest that only as one nation, Federal State of Israel-Palestine, the peace may endure. We, Americans, have failed to see the both side of the struggle for a lasting peace. The two cousins may have to kiss and forgive for all the hurt they have caused and endured. As Semitic people, they have common historical and religious heritage."

norris hall| 5.5.09 @ 4:14AM

I hope Obama has the backbone to insist on the two state solution. Somehow I think the Jewish lobby will make it hard for him to be neutral.
Israel and Palistine are like two children fighting over a piece of worthless candy.
It's time they do what normal people do when they've been engaged in juvinile bickering for far too long.
Figure out a way to get along.
The earth is billions of years old and human history is only a blip in time. With that in mind, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to bicker over a piece of worthless arid desert real estate.