LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 02/2012

Bible Quotation for today/In Praise of God's Goodness
Psalm 107/01-22: : Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good; his love is eternal!  Repeat these words in praise to the Lord, all you whom he has saved. He has rescued you from your enemies and has brought you back from foreign countries, from east and west, from north and south. Some wandered in the trackless desert and could not find their way to a city to live in. They were hungry and thirsty and had given up all hope. Then in their trouble they called to the Lord, and he saved them from their distress. He led them by a straight road to a city where they could live. They must thank the Lord for his constant love, for the wonderful things he did for them. He satisfies those who are thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.0 Some were living in gloom and darkness, prisoners suffering in chains, because they had rebelled against the commands of Almighty God and had rejected his instructions. They were worn out from hard work; they would fall down, and no one would help. Then in their trouble they called to the Lord, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of their gloom and darkness and broke their chains in pieces. They must thank the Lord for his constant love, for the wonderful things he did for them. He breaks down doors of bronze and smashes iron bars. Some were fools, suffering because of their sins and because of their evil; they couldn't stand the sight of food and were close to death. Then in their trouble they called to the Lord, and he saved them from their distress. He healed them with his command and saved them from the grave. They must thank the Lord for his constant love, for the wonderful things he did for them. They must thank him with sacrifices, and with songs of joy must tell all that he has done.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Asharq Al-Awsat: Interview with Israeli President Shimon Peres, the elder statesmen of Israeli politics/January 01/12
Syria: finally a genuine observer/By: Tariq Alhomayed/January 02/12
General, go back to Khartoum/By Mshari al-Zaydi/January 02/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for January 02/12
Educate young for peace, pope says at New Year Mass
U.S. steps up sanctions as Iran floats nuclear talks
US sanctions on Iran's central bank. Tehran has called this an act of war
Iran tests missile as U.S. tightens sanctions
Amos Harel / Will 2012 bring a new Israeli attitude toward Iran?
Iran dismisses U.S. sanctions on its Central Bank -report
Iran fires radar-beating missile during Gulf drill
Arab body says monitors should quit Syria promptly
Arab League advisory body urges end to Syria monitoring mission
Assad cousin denied visa to Switzerland
Assad cousin, Hafez Makhlouf denied visa to Switzerland
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood: Fate of Israel peace treaty may be decided in referendum
Israeli, Palestinian negotiators to meet in Jordan
In reversal, Saleh opts to stay in Yemen
Egypt arrests Christian over anti-Prophet posting
West in political crisis has echoes of 1930s
Lebanon: ISF Thwart Prison Break at Roumieh Jail
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea: Lebanon to begin state building after Assad's fall
Mikati defends 2011 record, outlines 2012 objectives
Al-Rahi: For a Civil, Democratic State Respecting Diversity within Unity
Lebanon.s FM, Mansour Receives Letter from Lavrov: Russia Can Play Effective Role in Ending Syrian Crisis
March 14 Vows to Continue Struggle, Hopes to See Promising Signs of Syrian Regime’s Collapse
Rifi Has ‘No Info’ on al-Qaida in Lebanon as Officials Seek to Turn Page on Ghosn’s Remarks
SANA: Arms, Narcotics, SIM Cards Seized on Lebanon-Syria Border

Educate young for peace, pope says at New Year Mass
January 01, 2012 01/Daily Star/VATICAN CITY: Humanity faces a decisive challenge - educating new generations in justice and peace in order to avoid the violent tragedies of the past, Pope Benedict said in his New Year address Sunday. Benedict, 84, marked his seventh New Year as pope by celebrating a Mass for several thousand people in St Peter's Basilica on the day the Roman Catholic Church calls its annual World Day of Peace. The pope said this year's theme, "Educating Young People in Justice and Peace," is a task for every generation following the two world wars in the 20th century and other conflicts since. Educating the young "in knowledge of the truth, in fundamental values and virtues, is to look to the future with hope," he said in his homily. Young people needed all-round education, and this required a social commitment to justice and peace, the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics said. They must use advances in communications technology to promote peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, dialogue and understanding. "Young people ... are open to these attitudes but the social reality in which they grow up can lead them to think and act in the opposite way, even to be intolerant and violent," he said. As usual at papal events since October the pope, who is believed to have arthritis in the legs, was wheeled up the central aisle of St Peter's standing on a mobile platform. The Vatican says this is to save his strength, allow more people to see him and prevent attacks like one on Christmas Eve 2009, when a woman lunged at him and knocked him to the ground. On New Year's Eve, at the traditional "Te Deum" Mass of thanksgiving, the pope said many people were entering the new year "with some trepidation", worried "by the crisis in economic affairs". On Friday, feast of the Epiphany, Benedict will lead the consecration of new bishops in St Peter's and on Sunday he will baptize babies in the Sistine Chapel. He will visit Mexico and Cuba in March and may visit Lebanon sometime in 2012.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi: For a Civil, Democratic State Respecting Diversity within Unity
by Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday called for a “civil, democratic and modern state based on a new social, national contract that improves the implementation of the 1943 National Pact.”In his New Year’s Day sermon, al-Rahi said that “the modernization of this formula requires respecting diversity within unity, respecting freedom of opinion and thought, and working for the benefit of all citizens and regions.”The Lebanese must also “comprehend Lebanon’s cultural message in the Christian and Islamic worlds and in the Arab region, which is based on its historic experience and geographic location on the Mediterranean.”

ISF Thwart Prison Break at Roumieh Jail
by Naharnet/The Internal Security Forces thwarted on Sunday a break out by three inmates from Roumieh prison, reported Voice of Lebanon Radio.The ISF have since cordoned off the area amid strict security measures. Omar Ballan, a Syrian accused of terrorism, and Mohammed al-Sheikh Othman and Hamza Kweider, two Syrian members of Fatah al-Islam, have been described as very dangerous, reported the National News Agency on Sunday. The prisoners attempted to escape the jail from the roof, taking advantage of the positive atmosphere that pervaded the compound on the occasion of New Year’s, it added. Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi praised the security measures that have been taken at Roumieh prison that thwarted the jail break without any gunshots being fired, said NNA.
Investigations are underway to determine the details of the attempted prison break. Several failed and successful prison breaks have taken place in Roumieh throughout the past few months.
In August, five inmates, including Fatah al-Islam terrorist network members, escaped the prison by scaling down the building's walls with bed sheets before mixing with visiting relatives and walking out of the compound with them. Two officers and nine guards were arrested after investigations in the break out.

SANA: Arms, Narcotics, SIM Cards Seized on Lebanon-Syria Border
by Naharnet/Syrian authorities on Saturday seized “quantities of weapons and over 1,000 narcotic tablets near Sweid bridge on the Syrian-Lebanese border and in both cities of al-Qusayr and Tal Kalakh in Homs” near the border with Lebanon, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported Sunday. “The weapons included PKM (machineguns), 14 anti-tank shells, 14 RPGs and various rifles,” SANA said.
Authorities also seized “Alfa-type Lebanese (mobile phone) SIM cards,” the news agency added. Thousands of Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon as the state cracks down on a popular revolt against the Assad regime, now in its tenth month.The Syrian army last month laced the Lebanese border with landmines in a bid to curb arms smuggling and hampering army defectors and refugees from fleeing.
Syrian troops have also staged deadly incursions into border villages in neighboring Lebanon, the last of which was on Tuesday, when three Lebanese men were killed by Syrian gunfire in Wadi Khaled.
The United Nations estimated earlier this month that more than 5,000 people have been killed in the crackdown since protests against the Assad regime began in mid-March.

Assad cousin, Hafez Makhlouf denied visa to Switzerland
January 01, 2012/By Frank Jordans /The Daily Star /GENEVA: A cousin of Syria's President Bashar Assad has lost his legal bid to get a visa for Switzerland, where he wanted to meet with a lawyer to challenge international sanctions imposed against him. Switzerland's supreme court rejected Hafez Makhlouf's request, saying the 40-year-old army colonel could use other means - like a telephone - to speak with his Swiss lawyer. The verdict published Thursday was reported Sunday by Switzerland's NZZ am Sonntag newspaper. Makhlouf petitioned Switzerland's Federal Tribunal in September after his name appeared on Swiss and European Union sanctions lists imposing asset freezes and travel bans on senior member's of Assad's regime. The sanctions were a response to Syria's brutal crackdown against opposition protesters, which the United Nations estimates has cost more than 5,000 lives since March. Makhlouf heads the Damascus branch of General Intelligence Directorate, one of Syria's feared state security agencies. International sanctions notices say Makhlouf is "involved in violence against demonstrators" and close to Assad's younger brother Maher, believed to be leading the crackdown against the opposition. Makhlouf's own brother Rami, who controls Syria's mobile phone network and other lucrative enterprises, also features on the sanctions lists. Last week Switzerland revealed it had frozen some 50 million Swiss francs ($53 million) linked to senior regime officials, including President Assad.

US sanctions on Iran's central bank. Tehran has called this an act of war
DEBKAfile Special Report /January 1, 2012/On the last day of 2011, US President Barack Obama Saturday signed into law measures penalizing foreign financial institutions doing business with Iran's central bank, Bank Markazi - the toughest sanctions imposed yet over Iran's development of a nuclear weapon. In recent weeks Tehran has repeatedly warned that it would deem the signing of this measure an act of war and respond with drastic steps including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The bill targeting anyone dealing with Iran's central bank seeks to force other countries to choose between buying oil from Iran or being shut out of transactions with US financial institutions and banks. The new sanctions will begin taking effect in 60 days – the toughest not for at least six months, giving Tehran some space to cooperate with international demands to call off its nuclear weapon program. The president will have some flexibility in applying the measure.
debkafile's Iranian sources report signs that rather than using this leeway to back down, Tehran appears bent on heading for a collision with the United States and its opponents in the Persian Gulf and Middle East. Just this Saturday, Dec. 31, Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, one of the Revolutionary Guards heads, wrote on the Guards' site: "Discourse about closing the Strait of Hormuz belongs to five years ago. Today's debate in the Islamic Republic of Iran contains new layers and the time has not come to disclose them."
This was published shortly after Iran announced the test firing of ballistic missiles targeting the strategic strait – and then, few hours later, contradicting itself by reporting that the missile test fire would only take place "in the coming days." Our sources report that Gen. Jazayeri's comment was also made in answer to Israel's chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, who said in an address to high school students in Beersheba Friday, Dec. 30, "A nuclear-armed Iran is a threat to the region and world no less than to Israel. I think that with the appropriate international and Israeli disposition, which I will not spell out here, we can beat that challenge." The Iranian general likewise declined to elaborate on Tehran's next moves.
After Obama signed the new sanctions, senior US officials stressed the administration intends to move forward with implementing the law in a way that doesn't damage the global economy. "We believe we can do this." They added: "The president will consider his options, but our intent—our absolute intent—is to do it in a timed and phased way."
Earlier Saturday, Dec. 31, debkafile reported Iran had managed by a media trick to close the Strait of Hormuz for at least five hours without firing a shot.


Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea: Lebanon to begin state building after Assad's fall
January 01, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said over the weekend that Lebanon will begin a process of state building following the collapse of President Bashar Assad’s government, which he predicted would likely happen in 2012. “Following the fall of the Syrian regime, we will enter a complicated political process before we create another political system that is well defined and capable of building relations between Lebanon and Syria as two [separate] states,” Geagea told a gathering of his party’s general committee in Meerab, according to a statement from his office Sunday.
Geagea, a staunch critic of Assad’s government and Damascus’ relations with Beirut, also said his party would finally accomplish its goals – a reference to the LF’s historic stance against Syrian interference in Lebanon. The LF leader, along with his allies in the March 14 coalition, have repeatedly voiced support for the nine-month anti government uprising in Syria which, according to U.N. estimates, has resulted in the killing of around 5,000 people, mostly civilians, since mid-March 2011.
Also a critic of Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s Cabinet, Geagea has accused the government of serving foreign interests.
“The year 2012 will witness the fall of the Syrian regime. This will have a significant impact on Lebanon's situation and will result in another balance of power [formula],” Geagea said.
“Presumably, after the fall of the Syrian regime, we should start the process of building a state,” he added.
Geagea also spoke about Lebanese prisoners in Syria and said the fall of Assad would give Lebanon the opportunity to reveal the truth surrounding their fate.
It is not known exactly how many Lebanese nationals are in Syrian prisoners but NGO estimates put the number at around 130.

Arab body says monitors should quit Syria promptly
01/01/2012
CAIRO,(Reuters) - An Arab League advisory body called on Sunday for the immediate withdrawal of the organisation's monitoring mission in Syria, saying it was allowing Damascus to cover up continued violence and abuses. The Arab League has sent a small team to Syria to check whether President Bashar al-Assad is keeping his promise to end a crackdown on a nine-month uprising against his rule. The observer mission has already stirred controversy. Rights groups have reported continued deaths in clashes and tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets to show the observers the extent of their anger. The Sudanese head of the mission also infuriated some observers by suggesting he was reassured by first impressions of Homs, one of the main centres of unrest.
The Arab Parliament, an 88-member advisory committee of delegates from each of the League's member states, on Sunday said the violence was continuing to claim many victims. "For this to happen in the presence of Arab monitors has roused the anger of Arab people and negates the purpose of sending a fact-finding mission," the organisation's chairman Ali al-Salem al-Dekbas said. "This is giving the Syrian regime an Arab cover for continuing its inhumane actions under the eyes and ears of the Arab League," he said. The Arab Parliament was the first body to recommend freezing Syria's membership in the organisation in response to Assad's crackdown.
An Arab League official, commenting on the parliament's statement, told Reuters it was too early to judge the mission's success, saying it was scheduled to remain in Syria for a month and that more monitors were on their way. The parliament called on the League's Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby to convene a meeting of Arab foreign ministers to adopt a resolution to withdraw the mission immediately. The continued abuse and killing of innocent Syrian civilians was a "blatant violation to the Arab League's protocol", Dekbas said.Syria's state news agency SANA said there had been "massive demonstrations" throughout Syria on Friday in support of Assad, and denouncing "the plot which Syria is exposed to". It said demonstrators had denounced "the pressure and biased campaigns targeting Syria's security and stability" and the "lies and fabrications of the misleading media channels".Syrian authorities have accused foreign powers of arming and funding "terrorists" in the country and say 2,000 of the government's soldiers and police have been killed.

Iran fires radar-beating missile during Gulf drill
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran test-fired a new medium-range missile, designed to evade radars, on Sunday during the last days of its naval drill in the Gulf, the official IRNA news agency quoted a military official as saying. The 10-day naval exercise coincided with increased tension in Iran's nuclear row with Western powers, after the European Union said it was considering a ban - already in place in the United States - on imports of Iranian oil. "The mid-range surface to air missile which is equipped with the latest sophisticated anti-radar technologies has been successfully test-fired," Deputy Navy Commander Mahmoud Mousavi told IRNA. Iran delayed testing its long-range missiles during the drill, saying the weapons would be launched in the next few days. The United States and Israel say they have not ruled out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve a dispute over the country's nuclear program, which Tehran says is peaceful but the West says is a cover to build bomb. Iran has long-range missile systems including the Shahab-3, which could reach Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East. In the past week Iran has threatened to stop ships moving through the strategic Strait of Hormuz if sanctions are imposed on its oil exports. The threat has heightened tension between Iran and the West. The U.S. Fifth Fleet said it will not allow any disruption of traffic in the vital oil shipping route.
(Writing by Ramin Mostafavi; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Syria: finally a genuine observer
/By: Tariq Alhomayed/January 02/12
Asharq Al-Awsat]
It seems that we have discovered the first genuine Arab observer in Syria, with potentially more to come, from the group of what I previously termed the delegation of Arab spectators! This “genuine” observer has contradicted the head of the Arab League observer mission in Syria [Mustafa al-Dabi], and has also undermined all the efforts of the Arab League Secretary General, who previously tried to “patch up” al-Dabi’s comments.
The “al-Arabiya” satellite channel recently aired a video showing one Arab observer, speaking in a North African dialect, saying that the al-Assad regime’s snipers are currently deployed in Daraa. He called for their withdrawal in clear and direct language. This undermines everything al-Dabi said about conditions being “good” in Syria, and also destroys the illusion, or “patching up” attempt, undertaken by the Secretary General of the Arab League, Nabil el-Araby. Against the background of al-Dabi’s comments, el-Araby said that what the head of the Arab mission in Syria meant by “good conditions” in the country was not a reference to the situation on the ground, but rather the al-Assad regime’s willingness to cooperate. The fact is that the video broadcast by al-Arabiya, showing a genuine Arab observer complaining about al-Assad’s snipers, discredits el-Araby’s words and renders them redundant. This clearly shows that the Arab League is confused and conflicted.
What is happening in Syria does not require delegations and observers, but rather it requires a real effort to stop the al-Assad killing machine there. What the regime is doing to the Syrians is a genuine crime, and to remain silent about this is to enter into partnership with the al-Assad killing machine. The story is not about emotions, it is about defending the Syrians and condemning Bashar al-Assad. The Arab stance has so far fallen short, and cannot be considered rational.
What is happening in Syria today, at the hands of a tyrant and his killing machine, does not need delegations and observers, the facts have already been proven. There is also no need for al-Dabi’s great efforts to serve the al-Assad regime, or for a delegation of Arab “spectators”, amongst whom we have found only one genuine observer so far, with the courage to talk from Syria in front of a camera, and say that the al-Assad regime’s snipers are actually there. How many banners have we seen like the one carried by protestors in Hama, which said: “Observers are like ghosts, we have not seen one in Hama!”
What is needed today, as I have said repeatedly, is to grant the Syrians a buffer zone and impose a no-fly zone, under the umbrella of the UN Security Council or outside of it. This must be done without worrying about what is said or done by the Russians, who recently rushed to issue a statement praising the efforts of the al-Assad regime, and its cooperation with the Arab observers, in reference to al-Dabi’s comments which the Arab League Secretary General then tried to “patch up”. The Russian Foreign Ministry simply said in its statement that “judging by the public statements made by the chief of the mission [Mustafa] al-Dabi, who in the first of his visits went to the city of Homs...the situation seems to be reassuring”. Moscow does not care about the Syrian victims, who now total 6 thousand people. There is a need for genuine action to help the Syrians turn over a depressing page in the history of Syria, and the region as a whole. We need a courageous Arab stance, like that of the one genuine, brave Arab observer.

General, go back to Khartoum!
By Mshari al-Zaydi
Asharq Al-Awsat]
“Perplexing" is the simplest description regarding the selection of a Sudanese General affiliated to President Omar al-Bashir, who is accused of being responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in his own country and against his own people, to head the Arab League’s delegation of monitors to Syria. These accusations [against al-Bashir] were not only made by the International Criminal Court [ICC] but the Sudanese people themselves.
General Mustafa al-Dabi, head of the Arab League's observer mission to Syria, previously headed Sudan’s Military Intelligence Agency, during a period of time in Sudan that was far from rosy. Indeed it was al-Bashir himself who nominated al-Dabi to the Arab League, which then obtained Syrian approval for his appointment!
It was Omar Ismail, a member of the anti-genocide ‘Enough Project” – affiliated to the Center for American Progress – who described the selection of al-Dabi as "perplexing". According to the BBC, Ismail said “instead of heading a team entrusted with a probe of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Syria, the general should be investigated by the ICC for evidence of similar crimes in Sudan.”
It is widely known that the al-Assad regime gambled on Omar al-Bashir's Sudan taking Syria’s side when the Arab League was considering an Arab boycott against it, given the fact that the two countries enjoy friendly relations and that they both belong to the camp of resistance [against Israel]. More than this, it is likely that al-Assad considers both regimes to be regionally and internationally isolated, and therefore the “unexpected” Sudanese approval of the Arab League’s Qatari-backed initiative regarding a package of “formal” sanctions against Damascus came as a surprise to the al-Assad regime. Therefore, the appointment of General al-Dabi as head of the Arab League’s delegation of monitors is a form of compensation [to the al-Assad regime].
No sooner had al-Dabi's team, which was warmly applauded by Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby, arrived in Damascus than Al Qaeda, out of the blue, decided to carry out an attack, with twin car bombs in Damascus and Aleppo.
The al-Dabi team rushed to the site of the bombings, not to Homs, Idlib, Jisr al-Shughour, Jabal al-Zawiya, Deraa, Deir az-Zour, or other areas where the al-Assad regime is suppressing unarmed Syrian protesters. This team was formed, in the first place, to investigate and examine the situation in these areas, not to pursue the regime’s traditional “theatre” of security plots, as they excel at this game, which is something that we have seen in Lebanon and Iraq.
After overcoming their initial shyness, the team of Arab League monitors traveled to Homs, where al-Dabi – as we all saw on television – marched here and there, listening indifferently to the Homs residents' appeal to him to take the delegation and visit the scene of the crime in the Baba Amr neighborhood. We saw him listen to the chants of the Syrians, and the wailing of the Syrian women who had lost husbands and sons, and throughout all this he appeared astonishingly indifferent and apathetic.
An eye-witness, an observer or a judge is supposed to be above suspicion. However a general who is a friend of Omar al-Bashir's and who was previously head of Sudanese Military Intelligence, but is nevertheless assigned to impartially investigate crimes against humanity, will of course be an object of suspicion. Therefore, there can be no doubt that his appointment certainly is “perplexing”.
So we say, General al-Dabi, go back to Sudan and investigate and observe the murders and the forcible displacements there, instead of being applauded for assisting the murders of people in Homs, Hamah, Deraa, and Jabal al-Zawiya.

Asharq Al-Awsat: Interview with Israeli President Shimon Peres, the elder statesmen of Israeli politics
Peace talks aborted to give International Quartet plan “a chance” – Israeli President
By Nazir Majali
Asharq Al-Awsat]
December 31/12
Tel Aviv, Asharq Al-Awsat – Israeli President Shimon Peres is the elder statesmen of Israeli politics. He has served as Israeli Prime Minister three times in his career, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning more than half a century. He was first elected to the Knesset in November 1959, and barring a three-month-long hiatus in early 2006, served continuously until 2007, when he was appointed President. Peres is widely respected within Israel, as well as the Arab world, and was a recipient of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, for the peace talks he participated in – as Israeli Foreign Minister – which produced the Oslo Accords.
In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Israeli President Shimon Peres talks about the future of Palestinian – Israeli peace negotiations, the Arab Spring, and the threat of Iran.
The following is the full text of the interview:
[Asharq Al-Awsat] I met with you a few months ago just prior to your trip to Jordan to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to complete talks aimed at resuming the peace negotiations. At the time, you said that you were extremely optimistic about the chances of resuming peace negotiations, but nothing was achieved on the ground. What happened?
[Peres] The situation in Egypt became more complicated, whilst there was [also] rapprochement between Hamas and Fatah.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] However, isn’t it true that you were the one who contacted Abbas at the last moment, informing him that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not granting you permission to pursue the talks?
[Peres] Yes, things were impeded on that day, but I did not give up.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] On that day, did you reach any agreement with Abbas? Did this meeting achieve any serious progress?
[Peres] We made a lot of progress.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What progress? Whose ideas were implemented or agreed upon; your own ideas, those of Abbas, those of Netanyahu?
[Peres] Everything was in coordination with Prime Minister [Netanyahu].
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Could this “progress” have resulted in a serious agreement?
[Peres] It could have been very serious, if we were not forced to stop.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What forced you to stop?
[Peres] The International Quartet submitted its new proposals, and Tony Blair and US officials arrived and offered to conduct direct meetings focusing on the issues of borders and security. They asked each party to put forward its proposals [on these issues] within three months…this is what halted our progress.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] So you are saying that it was the International Quartet – not Prime Minister Netanyahu – that halted your most recent efforts to reach an agreement with Abbas?
[Peres] Netanyahu told me that he wanted to give the International Quartet’s proposal a chance.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] However since that there have been no direct Israeli – Palestinian contacts. In this case, how would you characterize the International Quartet’s intervention?
[Peres] This [Israeli – Palestinian communication] has not been cut off completely, but it is less than before. This period will end on 14 January.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you mean to say that the International Quartet’s proposal is doomed to failure, and the negotiations will return to their previous track?
[Peres] Yes, this is what I believe.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The International Quartet has asked each party to put forward its proposal regarding the issue of borders and security. As far as I know, the Palestinians have done this, putting forward their own initiative regarding the border issue, and supporting the initiative that was previously put forward by the US regarding security. However the Israelis have so-far failed to put forward any initiative, is this true?
[Peres] Since the Americans put forward their initiative regarding the security issue, new developments have occurred in the region. There is a lack of security in the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip, whilst the situation in Syria and Lebanon is unclear. Even in Egypt, the situation is obscure, but we must not fall victim to despair.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] However didn’t the Ehud Olmert government agree to the US proposal on the security issue?
[Peres] The present Israeli government does not see itself as being bound to accept what was agreed by Olmert.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Why?
[Peres] This is because this was a proposal, not an agreement. Abbas did not sign any agreement with Olmert, so this is not binding to the next government.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Is there any hope in the current hardline Netanyahu government reaching an agreement with the Palestinians?
[Peres] I believe in direct negotiations. The International Quartet is not an alternative to that. Every party in the International Quartet has its own interests and causes. Take Russia, for example…it is standing with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who is slaughtering his own people, whilst the situation in Syria is a source of concern for both Jordan and Lebanon. President al-Assad, who began his political life as an eye-doctor, is now demonstrating that he is a butcher, whilst our Lebanese “friend” Hassan Nasrallah is serving Iran’s interests [in the region]. However despite this [conflicting interests], Russia is part of the International Quartet, and this is a new situation that is different from the past.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Is Israel concerned about the situation in Syria?
[Peres] Everybody is concerned. This concern is increasing over the lack of clarity regarding what is known as the “Arab Spring”, although I have a different view of this issue.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your view?
[Peres] I believe that the “Arab Spring” indicates that there is a new generation of youth in the Arab world who understands that if the Arab world does not join the modern economy it will not be able to extricate itself from poverty. The imams in the mosques cannot find solutions to financial crises. Of course, there is no contradiction between religion and Facebook and technology, but the Arab youth want water, economy, technology, freedom, and democracy. This is the issue; the river Nile is not able to solve Egypt’s [financial] problems today. Egypt’s population 50 years ago was 18 million, whilst today it is 81 million. As for Ethiopia, its population 50 years ago stood at 17 million, and today it stands at 80 million, whilst Sudan [today] has a population of around 50 million. These countries are utilizing the old water distribution agreement, and they cannot depend solely on the Nile. In Jordan, there is no water. Whilst we in Israel do not suffer from problems such as this; the Dead Sea is dying, and the Sea of Galilee is shrinking, but we do not suffer from water shortages, due to technological development. This is also the same reason why our agriculture is sufficient, and why one acre of land can produce the crop yield of 10 acres. This is something that could happen in Egypt and everywhere, on the condition that they pay attention to science and technology, not political and partisan conflict. Such conflicts only lead to starvation. The Arab youth are aware of this, and have revolted against it, and therefore the Muslim Brotherhood’s attempts to hijack the revolution will not succeed.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You say the Muslim Brotherhood will not succeed, but they won the highest number of votes in the two previous rounds of Egyptian parliamentary elections. Are you certain about this?
[Peres] Even if they win the elections…the people want their problems to be solved. The youth in the Arab world are the majority, and they are well aware that just as in the past it was impossible to live without land, it is impossible today to live without science and technology, and without employment. When 35 percent of the youth are unemployed, they will not find anything to satisfy them, unless they are provided with employment. They are revolting against the state of affairs where they are forced to live with their families in one house, without any hope for a secure future. Switching MPs is not what is required, what is required is a radical change in the management of the state’s affairs.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] So you are not worried about the outcome of the Arab Spring, as other senior Israeli officials and leaders have expressed?
[Peres] I have confidence in the youth generation, as well as [the youth generation] in the Arab World. I have confidence in the new developments that we have seen. I have confidence in globalization and in the economy. Globalization has destroyed racism, and struck a critical blow to national intolerance. Today, you need to produce and sell your products, so you cannot differentiate between white and black; because you want everybody to buy from you. Whoever acts in a racist way, will become bankrupt. Anyone who wants a narrow national economy will become bankrupt. This is a new world, and the Arab youth are a part of it. The Arab Spring brought about two essential things, namely striking down the dictators, and proving that dictatorships are no longer appropriate for our time.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] However what about those who warn that many of this generation of Arab youth harbor deep animosity towards the state of Israel?
[Peres] I do not think there is a sincere basis for this hatred. They should hate terrorism and extremisms. In Israel, there is a genuine desire for peace, and there is an internal conflict raging about this peace; terrorism is what prevents peace. We have withdrawn from the Gaza Strip, but it does not want to leave us…it pursues us with rocket attacks. We left Lebanon, and it also pursues us with rocket attacks. So what more does Hamas want from us?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about the West Bank? There is a national authority there led by Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad, there is the rule of law and no rocket attacks, whilst the leadership rejects violence and continually asserts its desire for peace. Yet despite all this, has the Israeli policy changed towards the West Bank?
[Peres] We are working together to reach peace, and I am certain that we will succeed. Let me also say that we are not creating peace in order to be charitable to the Palestinians, but rather because it is an urgent need for the Israelis. We have lost a lot, both the Palestinians and the Israelis, due to terrorism. I lost power (in 1996) due to terrorist operations. At the time, I travelled with Yasser Arafat to a number of European states to back economic support for the Palestinian Authority. Every time that we make developments we face new obstacles due to terrorism, and those who are behind this. The Iraqi people lost because of Saddam Hussein. Look at Libya, and how much the people of Libya lost over the 40years of Gaddafi rule. Look at the damage that Hezbollah is causing in Lebanon and Hamas to the Palestinians.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your response to those who say that Israel today is profoundly different to the country it was during your era, or the Rabin era? There is the joke that even if the entire Arab world converted to Judaism, this would still not be enough to convince Netanyahu to make peace.
[Peres] There is no need for them to convert to Judaism, just to stop firing rockets [at Israel]. Hamas in Gaza don’t want peace.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Hamas in Gaza, in many cases, is acting as Israel’s police force, preventing other Palestinian factions from firing rockets at Israel. Doesn’t this unofficial truce indicate there is potential for peace?
[Peres] At the end of the day, Hamas prefers Iranian funding more than anything else. It is Iran today that is present in Gaza.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] If this is your view of the situation, then how could you say – as you did previously – that you are optimistic about a peace agreement?
[Peres] I am optimistic because I will not stop working for the resumption of negotiations, and we can then lead these negotiations down a successful path.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Will this start on 14 January, when the International Quartet deadline runs out?
[Peres] We have never stopped communicating [with the Palestinians], however the extent of this communication has decreased. It will resume at a higher pace next month.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What kind of talks will take place? Will this be direct or indirect negotiations?
[Peres] These will be calm talks; talks where despair is forbidden. There are actions and positions that lead to despair, however I do not despair. Every party has made mistakes. We saw Abbas meeting Amina Muna, who was convicted of killing an [Israeli] youth. Do I agree with this? No, but I do respect this man [Abbas], although I don’t know why he agreed to a meeting such as this.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You have worked closely with Netanyahu for many years. Do you truly believe there is any hope that he is serious about the peace process?
[Peres] Yes, I do. There is a difference between him and myself; he has less faith that the peace negotiations will be successful, but he does want this. All the communication that I have conducted with the Palestinians took place in coordination between us. He is the Prime Minister of Israel. He is the decision-maker. He has different partisan and coalition issues to take into account, but he knows that there is no alternative to peace, for peace brings prosperity.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you think there are solutions to all the problems and obstacles that have been encountered during the peace process? The issue of settlements, Jerusalem, refugees, and others; do you truly believe it is possible for both sides to reach an agreement on these issues?
[Peres] Yes, there are possible solutions to all these issues, and they have been discussed and we have made a lot of progress. We will continue to talk [to resolve these issues].[Asharq Al-Awsat] What progress? [Peres] I don’t want to go into the details here, so as not to harm this.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Allow me to ask you a different question. When you were negotiating with Yasser Arafat, did you reach any solutions or agreements that were not revealed publicly? Are any such agreements being raised with Abbas today?
[Peres] With Arafat, we reached many things. Arafat was necessary as this is where the process begun, but it was not possible to reach the end of the road with him.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Why is that?
[Peres] He would go back on things we had agreed on. He believed in the use of violence to exert pressure. He would make promises and then go back on his word. When I asked him about this, he answered that he did not want to cause a Palestinian civil war. One time, I remember I told him that the first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben Gurion, did not hesitate to impose the authority of the state on the opposition, although many people warned him that this could incite a civil war. However this did not work. Despite this, let me stress that without Arafat, we would not have reached a situation such as this, where the issue of the establishment of a Palestinian state is a foregone conclusion in everybody’s view.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about Abbas?
[Peres] Abbas is a civilized leader who truly loves peace and who we can reach peace with. I respect him a lot. I always sense his dedication to the cause of peace. He sometimes surprises me….for example, the issue of resorting to the United Nations, or his meeting with the freed prisoner Amina Muna in Turkey. However he is diligent in his talk about rejecting violence, and his desire for peace, with security guarantees for both sides. I respect him.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Let us return to the situation in Syria. Do you also have confidence in the Syrian youth who are rising up against al-Assad, regardless of their possible political or religious background and beliefs? [Peres] The Syrian opposition is united in one thing…getting rid of dictatorship. That is the most important thing, namely a democratic Syria. This is an important and positive step, not just for the Syrian people, but for the Arab people, and also Israel. Only Iran and its agents will lose from this [the establishment of a democratic Syria].
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about those in Israel who are threatening military action against Iran?
[Peres] Iran is a threat…not just to Israel, but to the entire Arab world, and indeed the rest of the world.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What about the hints in the West which seem to show a level of acceptance towards the emergence of Iran as a nuclear power?
[Peres] Time is running out regarding the Iranian nuclear file. However US President [Barack Obama] said that he would not allow Iran to possess nuclear weapon, whilst French President [Nicolas Sarkozy] and German Chancellor [Angela Merkel] said the same. This is an international problem, not just an Israeli one. I am not one of those that support viewing this issue as solely an Israeli one.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The popular belief is that you routinely disagree with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and your politics are certainly different, however you do not announce this disagreement publicly, in the same manner as [former President] Ezer Weizman. Why is that?
[Peres] My style of [political] work is different, for I want my views to be effective.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Then, would you say your views influence Israeli policy and government?
[Peres] Do not expect me to praise myself here, what I will say is that I always give my opinion, whatever it might be!