Over 60 years have passed
since the General Assembly voted on the historic
resolution that would have put an end to the Arab-
Israeli conflict. Resolution 181 (II) called for the
establishment of a Jewish State and an Arab State. Its
title was: “Plan of Partition with Economic Union”. It
envisioned two States for two peoples, fulfilling a
distinct national aspiration. The Jewish people adopted
the resolution and established the State of Israel. The
Arabs rejected it, and this led to war.
What happened in the ensuing years is much
different from the resolution’s original intent. While
much has changed since then, the ironies of history
summon similar circumstances today. Today, again, we
are in the middle of the lake. There is no sense going
back. Continuing forward will show how near we are
to achieving the initial goal.
A year prior to Israel’s declaration of statehood,
its first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, called me,
a young man from a kibbutz, to serve in our national
defence. Since then, I have participated in Israel’s
dynamic realities: the building of security; the striving
for peace. So, I need no books to learn the history,
since I witnessed its miraculous unfolding. We went
through seven wars. All have paid heavily. Tears still
flow down the faces of bereaved mothers.
Remembrance days fill the air with silent prayers of
widowed families who lost young boys and girls in
battle. They are, today, the same age, but lifeless.
Israel turned military victories into peace
processes, knowing that the cost of life renders
imperfect peace superior to perfect victories.
We have also achieved two peace agreements: the
first, with the largest Arab country, Egypt; the second,
with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. All the land,
all the water, all the natural resources that fell into our
hands through war were completely repatriated after
peace was signed.
But for peace, the call in our region is to repair
the damaged environment and the wounded land which
leads to poverty. If we do not overcome the desert, the
thirst, the pollution, they will overcome us. Joint
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ventures can meet this call. Nature does not carry a
national passport.
With the Palestinians, we negotiate full peace.
Both parties agreed to building a Palestinian State side
by side with Israel, living in peace, security and
respect. We tried to conclude those negotiations this
year. Apparently, this will take a longer time. I believe
it can be accomplished, in spite of this, within the next
year.
I know that our Prime Minister is more than
ready to conclude an agreement. And knowing
President Abbas as well, I am sure he will not miss this
opportunity. We agreed to progress in spite of possible
changes that may take place in the leadership. Gaps
have been narrowed through negotiations, particularly,
and hopefully, the territorial ones.
But peace is not just a matter of territorial
compromise. Rogue politics rejects peace even when
and where territorial disputes have been resolved. In
Lebanon, we implemented the resolutions of the United
Nations, but Hizbullah paralysed the country and cut
the road to peace.
From Gaza, we withdrew completely and
dismantled all of our settlements. I know there are a
great many complaints about the settlements: in Gaza,
we dismantled 30 settlements by order of the
Government; Hamas responded with a bloody takeover
and turned the Strip into a base for rocket fire.
These militants offer no positive alternative but
the agonies of Job. They added kidnapping to
bombings, bringing strife to innocent families. From
this rostrum, I call for the immediate release of Gilad
Shalit, the son of Aviva and Noam, a most peace-loving
family. This Assembly should place the release of that
person at the top of its priorities. Holding a hostage in
Gaza, causes Gaza’s isolation and could cause further
deterioration.
At the centre of this violence and fanaticism
stands Iran. It presents a danger to the entire world. Its
quest for religious hegemony and regional dominance
divides the Middle East and holds back chances for
peace, including among Arabs, while undermining
human rights.
Iranian support for Hizbullah divides Lebanon.
Its support for Hamas splits the Palestinians; it
postpones the establishment of the Palestinian State.
Yesterday, from this very rostrum, the Iranian leader
renewed the darkest anti-Semitic libel — the
“Protocols of the Elders of Zion” — bringing to life
one of the ugliest plots against the Jewish people. Their
despicable denial of the Holocaust is a mockery of
indisputable evidence and a cynical offence against the
survivors of the Holocaust, contrary to the resolutions
adopted by this very Assembly.
Iran continues to develop enriched uranium and
long-range missiles. It has introduced a religion of fear,
opposing the call of the Lord to respect human life: all
humans; all life. The Iranian people are not our
enemies. Their fanatical leadership is their problem
and the world’s woe. Their leader is a danger to his
own people, to the region and to the world. He is a
disgrace to the ancient Iranian people and tradition. He
is a disgrace to the values of Islam and all religions. He
is a disgrace to this House, the United Nations, and its
basic principles and values. His appearance here is a
shame.
The Jewish people have known throughout
history that they must stand firm and face evil.
Enlightened humanity should make it possible for
freedom and respect to prevail for all of us.
Tehran combines long-range missiles with short-
range minds. It is pregnant with tragedies. The General
Assembly and the Security Council bear the
responsibility to prevent agonies before they take
place.
Israel has shown that democracies can defend
themselves. We are able to defend ourselves. We do not
intend to change that capacity to defend ourselves.
Terrorism has not solved a single problem. It
never has; it never will. It will make the world
ungovernable. If groups of killers are allowed to
threaten innocent masses, the world — if it continues
to survive — will be without order and security, a
hopeless battleground. The free world must unite to
stop this, to combat it.
Israel, for its part, shall continue to seek peace
sincerely and fully. We suggest immediate peace with
Lebanon. Israeli Prime Ministers have indicated to
Syria that, for peace, we are ready to explore a
comprehensive compromise. To gain trust and save
time, we have suggested a face-to-face meeting with
President Assad. I say to the President: “Follow the
successful example set by President Sadat and King
Hussein”. We await an answer.
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I know there is a growing concern that peace is
far away. My lifelong experience provides me with a
different judgement. True, I have seen stagnation,
regression and failure in our journey, but today I can
identify a road leading in the right direction. In
addition to the peace agreements, a series of summits
have taken place: Madrid, Oslo, Wye, Camp David,
Sharm el-Sheik, Annapolis. In fact, Israelis and Arabs
are marching towards peace. After a long internal
debate, Israel has chosen to support the two-State
solution.
Furthermore, I must say that in Beirut, the Arab
League replaced the three “nays” of Khartoum —
which were no peace, no negotiation, no recognition —
with an initiative inaugurated by King Abdullah Bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud. I call upon the King to further his
initiative. It may become an invitation for
comprehensive peace — one to transform a
battleground into a common ground.
I respectfully invite all leaders to come to discuss
peace in Jerusalem — which is holy to all of us —
where all of us are praying to the same Lord as
offspring of the same Father. Israel shall gladly accept
an Arab invitation to designate a venue where a
meaningful dialogue may take place at their choice.
We are facing a serious economic crisis in the
world. Perhaps it has happened because we are rich and
light with funds and poor and heavy with ideas, while
we live in an era in which science, not land, is the basis
for a successful economy. Science does not stop at
borders; it is not disturbed by distances. Wisdom
cannot be conquered by armies. Knowledge diminishes
discrimination because it operates through goodwill
and transcends race, nationality, colour and gender.
The global dangers unite and divide us at the
same time. The dangers are clear: degradation of the
environment, shortage of water, lack of renewable
energy, the spread of terrorism and, alas, increased
poverty among millions and millions of people. The
divisions of the free world may increase them. Unity
may offer alternatives. It would direct global
investments to new areas and to demanding challenges
such as health, security, education and the
environment.
The future is not in the hands of oil or gold.
Intellectual assets, new inventions and superior
education hold the key to the future of each of us. In
our region, border areas could become open economic
zones, permitting the free movement of people,
commodities and ideas. They could encourage tourism
and build high-tech incubators. They could cultivate
and advance modern agriculture. Economic zones
would provide a million jobs and produce billions of
cubic metres of desalinated water for the Arabs, for the
Palestinians, for the Jordanians, for Israel — for all of
us. We have already started to do this; the initial steps
are promising.
The Jewish people are celebrating a New Year. I
would like to end with a quote by Rabbi Nachman of
Breslav:
“May it be thy will to remove war and bloodshed
from the world and perpetuate the wonders and
greatness of peace. All the inhabitants of the
world shall recognize and know the truth: that we
have not been placed on this earth to wage war
and not for hatred or bloodshed.”
I will repeat it in Hebrew.
(The speaker repeated the quote in Hebrew)