Khaleej Times - AP - 28 September 2006
LONDON - Shimon Peres, Israel’s vice premier, said on Thursday that if Saudi Arabia wants to promote peace in the Middle East it should meet publicly with Israeli officials to promote its initiatives.
Peres said the Saudis could play an important role “if they step up.”
“You cannot be political and do it only with money. You cannot buy out problems. You have to face them. And the regal Saudis don’t do it,” Peres told a news conference in London.
He said the rich Arab country could have an important impact with its own peacekeeping proposals.
Israeli media have reported that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert recently met secretly with a senior representative of the Saudi government in Jordan.
Peres joined Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry in denying that such a meeting took place. But Olmert was evasive, saying during an interview with Israel’s Army Radio on Thursday: “I think all the speculation on this issue is superfluous.”
Saudi Arabia, which has no diplomatic ties with Israel, has been trying to revive a regional peace initiative it presented in 2002. Israel rejected the plan at the time, but Olmert has indicated he might be more open than his predecessor, Ariel Sharon.
The proposal called for a full Israeli withdrawal from lands it captured in the 1967 Mideast war in exchange for normalization and relations with all Arab countries.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, who plans to resign within a year, recently pledged to use his remaining time in office to work for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and Peres said Israel welcomes Blair’s efforts.
Peres called Blair a “highly respected” and “courageous leader” who is always prepared to fight for his convictions.
Blair has long had “good relations with the Palestinians and other Arab countries,” ones that could allow him to follow the lead of former US President Bill Clinton and continue to promote peace in the Middle East even after he leaves office as prime minister.
Peres welcomed Blair’s long-standing efforts to push wealthy countries and corporations to promote peace in the region by improving business opportunities for Arabs living in poor areas such as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Last year, Blair oversaw a Group of Eight summit in Scotland that saw world leaders propose up to US$9 billion to help the Palestinians achieve peace with Israel.
In March 2005, Blair hosted a one-day global conference in London during which Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas won pledges from the international community for financial aid.
