President Shimon Peres says he’s pleased with interfaith dialogue

Forty-nine permanent representatives and ambassadors gathered at the UN today to attend the interfaith dialogue “Culture of Peace” meeting held at the General-Assembly. President Shimon Peres said the time has come to build peace with the Palestinians. He was surprised at first to hear this initiative being brought on by the Saudi Arabian government and later said he was pleased to find a way forward.

“The history never reduced our desire to make peace.”

Peres said the gaps from this interfaith dialogue have seriously been narrowed. “We can see the shore of peace closer than ever before.”

“We cannot handle the problems created by the Iranians, the nuclear weapons, and an Iranian attack would be against the will of the Arabs nations as well.  Our mission is to live in peace with our neighbors. What we are witnessing today is the beginning of a new attack of a different kind. A new kind of Arab initiative of peace.”

Ms. Tzipi Livni, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel said her country is about working together to achieve peace. “Today we are talking about a conflict between faiths and conflict comes from abuses of faiths with extremism which can be used as an excuse for those who don’t want peace. We want to continue the negotiations to pursue peace and fight this kind of extremism.”

Ms. Livni said in order to find peace the participating governments need to keep talking about change and now that the United States has shown its government is heading for change, she said the government of Israel was hopeful this kind of spirit would be carried forward from the General Assembly meeting.

She also said the Annapolis process has helped build Palestinian and Israeli relationships greatly and now it is up to the Palestinians to follow the road map and fight against terrorism.

“We promised the world to make all the efforts to set a timetable to end the conflict and to fail to do so is something we cannot afford.”

She said the meeting organized at the UN today and tomorrow provides an avenue for better understanding and gives the Israeli government the priority to lead bi-lateral talks with pragmatic leaders and to fight extremism with national palestinian movements for peace.  “Only if we do so simultaneously–there is hope. Hamas is not willing to accept the will of the international community including the right of Israel to exist.”

President Peres concluded the press conference by stating the interfaith dialogue “sends a new air to the region and demonstrates a readiness to talk. Discussions can prepare for better relations and I have talked with the King (Abdullah from Saudi Arabia) personally –he’s got the reaction openly and clearly by all of us:  to continue to bring an end to the Arab conflict.”