Last update - 00:00 04/01/2008
Settlers council: Peres subjects pres. institution to extreme left
By Haaretz Service
Yesha Council Chairman Danny Dayan attacked President Shimon Peres on Friday over his prospective participation in an event organized by the Geneva Initiative headquarters next week, Army Radio reported.
"President Peres puts the presidential institution at the service of the extreme left," he said. He called on Peres to cancel his participation and "keep the dignity of the presidential institution intact."
Peres is scheduled to take part in "an expert symposium to examine the processes that stem from the Annapolis pattern: an Israeli-Palestinian accord," which is organized by campaigners for the Geneva Initiative, a peace draft that was launched in 2003 by prominent Israeli and Palestinian politicians.
Among the speakers are retired and incumbent military and political officials, including former chief of staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, former prime minister Sharon's senior adviser Dov Weisglass, pollster Kalman Gayer and former military intelligence commander Major General (ret.) Shlomo Gazit.
Yesha Council harshly criticized Peres for agreeing to participate, saying that "all the red lines have been crossed in the ongoing politicization of the presidential institution."
The president's office was unavailable for comment, but the Geneva Initiative Director General Gadi Baltiansky said that "the efforts to de-legitimize any attempts to pursue peace are shameful. It is a professional event, attended by prominent security officials and statesmen, which will debate the prospects of bringing peace and security to the people of Israel."