World is on our side, Peres tells Knesset foreign
affairs panel
By Gideon
Alon and Yossi Verter
Ha'aretz
Correspondents
Foreign Minister
Shimon Peres told the members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and
Defense Committee yesterday that Palestinian Authority Chairman
Yasser Arafat was coming under immense political pressure from
around the globe. "After a long time, the world has taken our side
against Arafat," Peres said, commenting on international reaction to
Israel's policy of restraint in the face of the series of terror
strikes in recent weeks.
"The reality is indeed fragile,"
Peres said, "but when one examines the alternative of blood and
terror attacks, the diplomatic alternative is the better course of
action."
Peres told the committee that after Friday night's
suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, the government was torn between
adopting a political or military initiative. "The diplomatic course
was chosen," he said. "I would have liked Arafat's announcement of a
cease-fire to be more unequivocal, but in general, it has succeeded.
We are now facing a trial period and it is fragile. Nevertheless,
the last few hours have proved that Arafat does have control on the
ground. We are seeing efforts to calm things down, but we also feel
he should be doing more."
The foreign minister expressed hope
for a full and stable implementation of the cease-fire, commenting
that Israel could already discern a fall-off in incitement on the
part of the Palestinians.
Peres also praised the "first
class" powers of resistance of the Israeli leadership. "These days,
to decide that we are giving the diplomatic option a chance to lead
us in the upcoming campaign is a courageous decision," he said. "We
want to translate the sympathy shown to us from around the world
after the terror attack into a permanent sympathy on behalf of peace
that will create the necessary pressure and encouragement to get the
situation back on a path of peace."
According to Peres,
"Terrorism is not a war, but rather a form of confrontation that is
difficult to deal with. And even if we bomb here and there, it won't
solve the problem."
Speaking to reporters after the committee
meeting, Peres confirmed that the government was considering
establishing a dividing line between Israel and the territories, but
that such a division could only come in the framework of an
agreement.
Peres also spoke yesterday before the Labor
Knesset faction. In contrast to the explicit standpoint of Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon, the foreign minister told his fellow party
members that the Palestinian people and not the PA leader were the
main problem that Israel had to deal with.
"There is a people
that has demands from us," Peres said, "and Arafat is its
mouthpiece. Those who want to topple Arafat, will get Hamas. The
right thinks that if we declare Arafat a terrorist, we have solved
the problem. That is absolute nonsense."
Defense Minister
Benjamin Ben-Eliezer told the faction that Arafat's emissaries were
"running around almost everywhere and trying to calm things down.
... I hope Arafat's decision is a strategic rather than tactical
one. The signs from the field are pointing to two things - that
Arafat feared a heavy-handed reaction from us, as well as the
collapse of the international support on which he had
relied."
The defense minister said that Israel was ready to
deal with any situation that may arise.
 
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