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President Shimon Peres (Daniel Bar-On / Jini)
Last update - 23:26 05/05/2008
Peres: Fight terror - reduce global dependence on oil
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
Tags: Shimon Peres, Hamas, Iran 

President Shimon Peres on Monday hailed Israel's new weapon against the threat of "terrorism" from its Middle East neighbors - the electric car.

Outlining Israel's development priorities in an address to foreign journalists to mark this week's 60th anniversary of statehood, Peres said reducing global dependence on oil would curb oil-producing states' ability to fund Israel's enemies.

"Oil ... is not only polluting the air, it is also promoting terror," said the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has long promoted Israel's now powerful high-tech industries.
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Peres argued that manifold increases in oil prices in recent years had contributed to a rise in financing for terrorism in the Middle East, and said an Israeli project to design a green car run on batteries, as well as plans to develop solar power, would in turn hit oil producing countries' budgets.

"We are not going to fight the producers of oil," he said. "But we are going to introduce alternatives."

Peres also said Monday said that while he was not in favor of attacking Iran over its nuclear program, a strong alliance needed to be put in place to sanction the Islamic country to deter it from its atomic path.

In sweeping comments before Israel's 60th anniversary, Peres compared the Iranian nuclear threat to Hitler's Germany and said engaging Gaza's Hamas rulers would be like talking to a wall.

"I am not in favor of a military attack on Iran, but we must quickly and decisively establish a strong, aggressive coalition of nations that will impose painful economic sanctions on Iran," he said regarding Tehran's nuclear program.

Addressing a press conference of foreign journalists, Peres said that "Iran's efforts to achieve nuclear weapons should keep the entire world from sleeping soundly."

Israel and Western nations accuse Iran of covertly seeking nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

"[Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad is calling for Israel to be wiped off the map, and the combination of nuclear weapons in the hands of a deranged extremist religious leader is a nightmare for the world," Peres went on to say.

"In a way it's more complicated than in the time of the Nazis," he said. "Hitler didn't have a nuclear bomb."

The president also said that Iran is a global terror center which "trains and finances generations of killers and terrorists."

On the topic of Hamas, Peres said that the militant rulers of the Gaza Strip were standing in the way of Palestinian statehood.

"If it weren't for Hamas and their criminal behavior, the Palestinian people would have had an independent state a long time ago," he proclaimed.

The president added that talking to the Islamic group was like "talking to a wall."

"We mustn't forget that we evacuated the Gaza Strip and the areas surrounding it, all the while under Hamas fire aimed at women and children in Israel. We don't want to harm the civilian population, we transfer food, fuel and medicine to the Gaza population, but we can't ignore the fact that Hamas is causing much damage to their people and can blame no one but themselves."

In regard to Syria, Peres said that if the Syrians were earnestly ready to enter into peace talks with Israel, Israel would be willing to comply. "We want a comprehensive peace in the Middle East and we are willing to pay a price for a comprehensive peace, as we have done in the past," he said.

On a separate note, Peres said that despite the investigation currently being managed against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, he saw no reason for the prime minister to resign so long as he remained innocent in the eyes of the law.

"Olmert has not been indicted and he will be innocent until proven otherwise," he said.

"Democratically, this investigation is in life, but personally, I don't know of anything that would change my mind over whether the prime minister should stay in his position," he added.

Peres also said Monday, that his birthday wish for Israel would be to have it lead the world in science."

"I would like that it should be as old as the Ten Commandments and as new as nanotechnology," Peres said.

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      1.   at last a voice of reason 14:22  |  POP 05/05/08
      2.   from here it looks like peres is becoming more and more 14:23  |  Lakshimi 05/05/08
      3.   Peres said the obvious 14:23  |  Hastaroth 05/05/08
      4.   Peres The Tzar 14:24  |  Akram Zekaria 05/05/08
      5.   Excuses 14:28  |  Mary 05/05/08
      6.   HuH??? 14:33  |  William 05/05/08
      7.   Peres:I`m not in favor of military strike on Iran 14:42  |  Bettina Weinert 05/05/08
      8.   What uttter nonsense 14:46  |  Horst 05/05/08
      9.   #5 Mary: In Hamas` Charter Tel Aviv Is Also A Settlement 14:49  |  Lavi 05/05/08
      10.   And what does it matter what Peres says? 14:52  |  Johnboy 05/05/08
      11.   What a big lie from MR FOX 15:02  |  KHALILISHABIB 05/05/08
      12.   POP is right for once 15:15  |  Stateless mind 05/05/08
      13.   #7 Bettina: How To Turn Prime Real-Estate Into Slime Real-Estate 15:17  |  Lavi 05/05/08
      14.   AIPAC must condemn Peres! 15:27  |  W 05/05/08
      15.   Who is asking him anyway ??? 15:31  |  Alon 05/05/08
      16.   Peres "no to a military strike 15:37  |  I.Kemp 05/05/08
      17.   where is Iran getting the technology 15:40  |  Bruce Rubin 05/05/08
      18.   Go back to sleep Peres 15:44  |  Natallie Durson 05/05/08
      19.   We should not wait : tomorrow it might be too late. 15:47  |  Jean Van Daem 05/05/08
      20.   Nuclear weapons controlled by 15:49  |  Chris Linthwaite 05/05/08
      21.   In that case, Iran will soon become nuclear without any pressure 15:49  |  Aounist 05/05/08
      22.   Condemn ALL Deranged Extremists 16:18  |  DoubleClick 05/05/08
      23.   To my friend Natallie 16:26  |  Wake up 05/05/08
      24.   Sharachta mi ata?! 16:41  |  Confused Citizen 05/05/08
      25.   Opposed 1981 strike against Iraq 16:44  |  Meir 05/05/08
      26.   Where`s your proof, Peres? 16:46  |  Clickfool 05/05/08
      27.   Go back to sleep, Durson. 16:51  |  Joe Sittizen 05/05/08
      28.   Israel`s final reaction 16:52  |  Sam C 05/05/08
      29.   `pain` is pointless. disarm them now. 16:52  |  frenz 05/05/08
      30.   #20, yet another asinine rant! 16:53  |  DR 05/05/08
      31.   # 15 Alon; Precisely, Bidyuk. Milim Ke Dorbanot 16:53  |  Haham me Bat Yam 05/05/08
      32.   Clickfool on Iran`s nuclear intentions 16:58  |  Sam C 05/05/08
      33.   Aounist 16:59  |  rich 05/05/08
      34.   You go right ahead, Jean van Daem # 19 17:00  |  Clickfool 05/05/08
      35.   W 17:03  |  rich 05/05/08
      36.   By the way, how do you know Iran doesn`t have nukes? 17:05  |  Clickfool 05/05/08
      37.   #6 william, jew hater par excellence 17:06  |  Robert/Montreal 05/05/08
      38.   THIS SPEECH ANGERS ME AS A MUSLIM. 17:06  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 05/05/08
      39.   My guess is 17:09  |  Chris Linthwaite 05/05/08
      40.   Lavi well said#13 It sappears the haters now feind a voice here 17:12  |  ROBERT/mONTREAL 05/05/08
      41.   #30 Clickfool 17:19  |  Chris Linthwaite 05/05/08
      42.   #10 Hoinboy forgot what his Primeminister said after the attacks 17:19  |  Robert/Montreal 05/05/08
      43.   Buying time is everything 17:21  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 05/05/08
      44.   Natalie Durson , truth hurts eh Nat? you cannot respond 17:22  |  Robert/Montreal 05/05/08
      45.   #23 Wake up Natalie is dellusional, El Quaida would have been 17:28  |  ROBERT/MONTREAL 05/05/08
      46.   Atilla 17:28  |  Baccicin 05/05/08
      47.   For Chris Linthwaite # 39 17:38  |  Clickfool 05/05/08
      48.   let me a nuclear bomb is safer with a Jew at the trigger 18:08  |  El-Birawi 05/05/08
      49.   #36 Clikfool if they had it they would of used it 18:08  |  Robert/Montreal 05/05/08
      50.   look who is talking! 18:09  |  Palestinian 05/05/08
      51.   to strike or not to strike 18:16  |  Obama 05/05/08
      52.   #18, Durson, how come you are always wrong? 18:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/05/08
      53.   good sense prevails.. 18:18  |  ravi 05/05/08
      54.   To: Atilla Karagözoğlu 18:20  |  Howard 05/05/08
      55.   Peres too old for challenges 18:23  |  Brod 05/05/08
      56.   Kohn - How could you 18:31  |  Natallie Durson 05/05/08
      57.   Not up to his usual standards 18:48  |  symphonyofdissent 05/05/08
      58.   TURKISH LEADERSHIP OF ISLAM WORLD WILL END ISRAEL`S SELFISH WALK 18:48  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 05/05/08
      59.   Shouldn`t talk about such things publicly. 18:53  |  Shlomo 05/05/08
      60.   Palestinian 19:06  |  rich 05/05/08
      61.   #58 19:08  |  MichaelF 05/05/08
      62.   Coalition? 19:11  |  MichaelF 05/05/08
      63.   $56, Durson 19:14  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/05/08
      64.   For Robert in Montreal # 49 19:18  |  Clickfool 05/05/08
      65.   DO YOU FEEL SAFE FROM FUTURE TURKS ANGER !! 19:22  |  ... 05/05/08
      66.   Haaretz 19:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/05/08
      67.   IN SHORT ! WE ARE ALLAH`S (C.C) FAVORITE PEOPLE. WE HELP. WE ALSO 19:25  |  ... PUNISH. 05/05/08
      68.   IT WILL BE OK IF THE US DO IT FOR ISRAEL 19:26  |  indrajaya 05/05/08
      69.   Doubtful use of office. 19:29  |  H.H.M 05/05/08
      70.