Israel, 2008

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)