President Shimon Peres on Thursday 22 Shevat 5774, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, held a press conference and answered questions from the international and Israeli media. President Peres began by addressing the speech by the Iranian President and said, “The most significant remarks were the ones he didn’t make – he didn’t express support for peace in the Middle East. He is the only leader I know who didn’t say clearly the time has come to make peace between Israel and the Arabs. He excluded the reference to peace and when he was asked if his vision included all countries he said it included only the ones that Iran will accept, that is some definition.”

President Peres continued and commented on the address by Iranian President Rohani, “He didn’t announce that in order to reduce the bloodshed in Syria he’s going to stop sending arms and money to Hezbollah to the stop the killing, he could have announced that seeing as he doesn’t want a nuclear bomb that he will stop building long range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, he didn’t announce that Iran will stop being the center of terror in our time. We can see their fingers in many terrible pies that endanger lives. As far as Israel is concerned we are ready to make peace with the Iranian people, historically they have never been our enemies. We extend our hand for peace, including to the Iranian people, but today was a great occasion that was missed.”

In response to questions from the press President Peres said the speech was, “half a job and the most important half wasn’t done. Peace is peace for all people, without exclusion. President Rohani doesn’t need the P5+1 to stop building missiles; he doesn’t need their permission to stop sending arms to Hezbollah and elsewhere. There is an offer on the table to enable Iran to have what other countries have but they have to stop threatening and terrorizing, even while making speeches like this one. There is no room to postpone.”

President Peres expressed his support for Secretary Kerry’s peacemaking efforts and the US position on Iran, “I believe President Obama is trying to do the right thing and the US has decided not to stop the sanctions fully until they see the results. Secretary Kerry is doing an excellent job with dynamism and determination. There are different opinions, different options and it is normal that they are being examined.”

Peres was asked about the Iranian President’s call for elections in Syria and said, “Elections are being done by ballots not bullets, he sends bullets and that’s no way to encourage elections.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)