Peres's challenge: Ready to meet Rouhani
Il Giornale, December 9, 2013
America's famous multi-million-dollar pacifist Saban Forum is a coveted platform where everyone has to excel at his or her tasks. And once again, it has been [an occasion for] mental sparks [to fly]. Obama, Peres, Netanyahu. Shimon Peres touched on the most sensitive topic : at a difficult time between the U.S. administration and his country, and after Obama dotted the i's and crossed the t's on both the agreement with Iran and the peace process with the Palestinians, this true nonagenarian wonderboy has laid down his bridge of peace. The Israeli Mandela, when he hears talk of peace he can't be restrained, not even by Iran's hatred of Israel, which was expressed loud and clear ("the Zionists are like rabid dogs, their fate is sealed," said Supreme Leader Khamenei on the very day of the agreement).
"I'm ready to meet with President Rouhani," said Peres in response to a reporter's question. "I have no personal enemies. Peace is made between peoples, and when it comes down to politics, we speak with our enemies hoping they become our friends." Then he brought up how he began to talk with Arafat -- not a very fortuitous example, given that over time Arafat showed he had no intention of signing the peace treaty. But Peres's outstretched arm was an exploit of the author, a demonstration of Israeli goodwill, that nevertheless was accompanied by a request for verification of the agreement. In the public eye it was "good cop" Peres versus "bad cop" Netanyahu, who spoke last night. But that's not the way it is, even though the latter brashly stated: "If there is a nuclear Iran, then peace with the Palestinians will not be possible."
It's a point of view intended to mark the differences with the U.S. and promote monitoring, but Bibi expressed it along with the following news item: "Peace with the Palestinians is closer than it has ever been. We've made tough sacrifices, and we're ready to make even tougher sacrifices." He then added, however, that the international community must ensure that the most ferocious of all regimes does not become a superpower. If it does, any peace process would be hindered. Both Peres and Bibi called for thorough monitoring of the results of the interim agreement over the next six months, and for preventing Iran from going nuclear. But it's understood that a tough period with the U.S. is now dawning, even though Bibi and Obama have both pledged eternal friendship in public. For the first time, Obama very specifically said: the U.S. does not believe that at the end of the six prescribed months the ayatollahs will decide to dismantle the nuclear plant. That would be nice, but it won't happen: At this point the technique is available to them. Iran will continue to enrich uranium,, and the idea that the Islamic Republic will pursue a nuclear weapon cannot be ruled out. The American president admits that he doesn't foresee a happy ending. In a resigned tone, he explained: During the negotiations we were less strong than you imagine. India, Japan, South Korea, and Russia complained about the economic damage of the sanctions, and the American people repeatedly expressed their opposition to war. Obama delivered a weak strategy plan at the Forum.
But he wanted to add that all options are still on the table, even the military option; that the U.S. is opposed to a nuclear Iran; and that Israel is still its best friend. The possibility of military action had never been repeated since the agreement was signed. But it can hardly be imagined that the Iranians are now riddled with anxiety over it. Instead, one gets the feeling that Obama is offering Israel a carrot that would block any plans to force Iran to stop, and is pushing for an agreement with the Palestinians. At least here Obama would like to be successful. A hope that's rather misplaced.
This article originally appeared in slightly different form in Italian in Il Giornale; English copyright, The Gatestone Institute