Changing world-If Pakistan and India can do it,so can Israel and Pakistan: Peres
Says there is no shame in peace; if Pakistan wants to be a part of the ME peace process, it cannot do so with ‘remote control’
By Ammara Durrani &
Rana Mubashir
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD, JANUARY 27: Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres has said that Israel and Pakistan should have "a direct, personal contact, publicly, without being ashamed about it." Answering questions put to him by The News, in what is the first ever interview by an Israeli politician to a Pakistani newspaper, Peres responded from Tel Aviv on Wednesday "there is no shame in peace; we should reach full normalisation."
He did not comment when asked whether he saw any change in Pakistan’s approach towards its relations with Israel; and why was it important for Israel to establish cordial relations with Pakistan.
In response to a question as to how Israel viewed US President George W Bush’s statement last month about General Pervez Musharraf playing "a big role" on the "important issue" of the ME peace process; and whether Israel would be willing to accept a Pakistani role, Peres was categorical: "First and prior to anything, Pakistan has to decide to have contacts with both sides-and that’s before playing a part in the Middle East peace process; it cannot play a role without having relationships with all the entities involved."
He expressed hope that 2005 gave Israel "an enormous opportunity" to "push forward" in the ME peace process. "If Pakistan wants to be a part of that, it will have to draw this conclusion: it cannot be done by remote control," he said, while talking to The News.
Citing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s statement last month that Sharon saw 2005 as "an year of opportunity" for Israel not only in terms of the ME peace process but also for establishing stronger relations with the international community, The News asked Peres if he thought establishment of Pakistan-Israel relations could be a possibility as a result of such an approach? "There is absolutely no reason why we should not," Peres said, adding: "indeed, Pakistan is a Muslim state, but Turkey is also such a state, and we have the closest contacts with the Turks."
He claimed that Israel had never declared a boycott on any country in the world. "And the decision about (our) relationship is Pakistan’s," he added. "If Pakistan and India can do it, so can Israel and Pakistan," he concluded.
Leading his Labour Party, Peres formed a "unity government" last month with the ruling Likud Party, giving PM Sharon much needed political support to carry on with his disengagement plan, thus ending the "greater Israel dream".
A 1994 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for his historic role as Israel’s Foreign Minister in the Oslo Accords of 1993, 81-year-old Peres has long been considered as a foremost moderate in Israeli politics. The Jerusalem Post recently likened his sharing power with Sharon as a development that could bring "societal healing" in strife-torn domestic politics of the country.
Peres’ comments on Pakistan-Israel relations come as the latest sound bite in an ongoing debate about whether mainly Muslim Pakistan should consider recognising Israel if the fledgling ME peace plan remained on track.
In October 2003, GEO TV’s Follow-up With Fahd programme aired an interview with Peres, in which the Israeli leader had stated "Pakistan is not (Israel’s) enemy" and that "secret contacts...are creating illusions...they don’t bear any fruits." In the same interview, Peres had called upon Pakistan to "sit openly, clearly, under an open sky, talk like human beings, air out our differences," hoping, the two countries could "improve the situation."
Meanwhile, Pakistan has become more cautious on the issue in the wake of the national controversy that erupted on this issue. Since June 2003, proponents of this idea have toned down their earlier enthusiasm by frequently insisting that Pakistan can only "study the question" of recognising Israel if the ME conflict is settled and includes the creation of a Palestinian state and Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories. Islamabad has also maintained that it would take its decision "at the right moment" and would take into consideration "the feeling in Islamic countries and public opinion in the country."
In September last, General Musharraf warned Israel of "dire consequences" if it targeted the nuclear installations of Iran.
Since the Jewish state of Israel first came into being in 1948, Islamabad has refused to recognise its formation and does not have diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv. Pakistani citizens are forbidden to travel to Israeli territories on a Pakistani passport; and there are no postal and telecommunications connections between the two countries. |
