Peres to Assad: Engage Israel in immediate, direct peace talks

I agree with you completely; the current Israeli leadership is nothing but an albatross to the people of the United States. Bibi Netanyahu is a meathead with silver tongue who, if allowed, will take us all down the tube, Israel and the United States together. God help us, for this man does not really see the writing on the wall. Israel will, I fear, pay a terrible price in the future for his inept leadership. Israel needs to make a comprehensive settlement with the Palestinians within the '67 lines, and that includes East Jerusalem. Be content with what the United States, Britain, and France carved out for you in '48. After all, not all Jews want to live in Israel, being fully content and happy to live in diaspora around the world and being a financial support to Israel. The wanton killing of Palestinians has to stop, and they need to have peace now in a state of their own in the pre '67 borders. Land for peace would mean no rockets lobbed into Israel proper.

I was being sarcastic, heavily. I agree with you. They - the new ones - should make a difference. Hopefully. But don't diss Peres! It was touching seeing on TV his ( poor ) speach on the Senate, but everybody wanting to shake his hands. He's a legend.

You must be joking,Lieberman should be kept out of sight and sound as far as possible.I was thinking of those unfortunate but talented young men available in the foreign ministry that need to bite thier tongues till both of these impediments exit the scene.

Alexander, I don't think you can speak for the whole of Brazil regarding the Jewish community.Let the community speak for itself. The only notices we have had of antisemitism has occured in the Southern states of Brazil, which were heavily colonized by Germans.In my city, daily deviled for its violence, there's not a been a single attack to the Jewish community. That's to my knowledge and I read newspapres everyday.By the way, I don't understand how the haredi community can live in Leblon, the posh neighbourhood in Rio. They must watch evey single day of their lives young or old going to the beach in very " indecent " atires! :)

if by talented young diplomat you mean Avigdor Lieberman, then you have another problem.

Bring Peres home immedialely, he has no mandate to deal in politics. Enough already with this leach,he is way past his sell date and no longer relevant. Let our talented young diplomats do their stuff. Shame on you Peres, move over and let the younger men handle our affairs. You had your turn and contributed what you could. Realise that you are blocking the pathway of younger men more in tune with the times . You have become an embarassing burden.You think only in terms of yourself,egoist.

Of Course Peres was not the perfect leader but we will miss him when he is gone. He's the last of his generation, someone with worldwide stature --Israel's last true statesman. I shudder when I think of Israel's current leadership.

Yeah right...the Palestinians want peace and Syria wants peace with Israel..sure then once Syrians have no outside vilian their anger will be aimed at Assad. He would never allow it. If Abbas and Hamas had peace with Israel they could no longer justify getting foreign money which they hide in their Swiss bank accounts or use a slave money to control their lackies and citizenry. What it takes is a Palestinian individual whose interests are those of its fellow citizens instead of his or hers own power and self worth... Who is not scared of assassins from within. Who is willing to risk all for the sake of the betterment of life for Palestinians. Hopefully this will come soon.

That is the fate of murderers, those that dance and celebrate the death of fellow human beings. Were it only the case that they would not be rewarded for their bloodthirsty barbarity.

How do you propose getting a contiguous state without at least a right of way over Israel? If Israeli lands are being used, then fair is fair, "Arab lands" must be barter. Of course, the historic reality is that these lands do not have the fingerprints of any Palestinian governance or state but they do have the marks of Jewish governance and a Jewish state. But the historical point, I would agree must be set aside. Otherwise there will be no peace.

Whatever Brazil has been falsely accused of, it would have to be blind not to accept that this is the goal of Iran. Iran has been offered multiple forms of deals which would permit it to use nuclear power for the production of energy but not permit it to use it to produce weapons grade nuclear material. It has rejected each and every one of these deals repeating, ad nauseum, the mantra that it has the right to peaceful nuclear power. If it has that right, which it does, and it has been offered up on a plate, why reject the plate when it has the very thing on it that Iran insists it non-negotiable. In short, bullshit. On the other side of the world sits Brasil, a responsible and measured state. Hopefully, it will not be deceived, blinded by the Islamic influence in that country or anti-semitism. If it is, cest la vie. That will make little difference to Israel who will defend itself no matter what.

Peres looks more and more like the Last Lion- the last of his generation, a real statesman. No one in the current generation of Israeli leaders has this type of stature...that is very frightening.

Assad demands that the Golan be returned BEFORE he'll sit down to talk

I was born and raised here, and I live here. The Iranian influence has been growing since the end of the Iran-Iraq war, in 1988. By the early nineties, the Iranians massacred 29 people at the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and 85 people at the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina AMIA. Most of the victims were Jews and the wounded were hundreds. Converts to Shiite Islam studied in Qom and came back to Buenos Aires. From there they spread to Chile, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. Chávez gave them a second round in this decade. They have penetrated Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador and Nicaragua, and have strong presence in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Although conversion to Islam is very marginal, the spreading of hate to Israel and anti-Semitism is constant and determined. So is the building of networks and PR. Delegitimizing Israel is the prime political task of Iran here. Thank G'd President Peres came here.

Peres must understand that those who have trashed the idea of peace in Israel have trashed Abbas and the idea of peace at all. His plea is understood. It is welcome for it's intent. And it will be rejected by the Israeli right as proof of his unfitness; and Abbas as proof the ages have passed both Peres and himself by. The post Liberal Israel ruled by Netanyahu has achieved all it lusted for. Abbas is destroyed, the threat of a two-state solution is destroyed, nothing stands in the way of Greater Israel except reality. The Israeli right has never thought about reality. All that mattered was it's dreams and desires. Now it must figure out what to do with the Palestinians who have no hope of a future.

Who is our president, or his minister for that matter, to poke around something that he does not understand!? He's probably going to repeat the same level of stupid comments that he made in Africa (that the place as so clean that one could forget that he was in Africa). Brazil has always been in favour of the Arabs and Muslins as a whole (check the Brazilian historic on votings at the UN), so Israel should not expect any real help from here. And Luiz, I do not know in which Brazil you live in 'cos this year - during Pessah and hitler's b-day - we had a fight among the heads of the neo-nazis near my city and the "chief" from my State was killed with his girlfriend by the chied of São Paulo. The Jewish community here is has been so afraid for so many years that even Sabras have a hard time joining it (most give up and either move away or live in isolation). Brazil does not like it's Jews.

The Muslims, and fellow travelers, have to learn a simple fact. They lost the wars, Israel makes the borders. They have to learn to live with it, just like the Germans and Japanese did. Palestinians already have a contiguous state. They control south Lebanon, parts of Syria and Jordan, and the west bank. Gazans should be evacuated for humanitarian reasons. If the Palestinians and the the other Muslim states are willing to live in peace, let them recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Let them restrain their paramilitary groups from attacking Israel. In order to live in peace, act peacefully.

Long live the memory of Osvaldo Aranha who stood on the right side of history back on 1947. Brazil and Israel are together on the road to the future of peace and cooperation, no matter how long it takes! Shalom Aleichem!

"Syrians and Arabs are definitely willing to live in peace with Israelis and Jews." So why do they fund and arm Hezballah and Hamas? If Syrians are willing to live in peace with Israelis and Jews, then let them stop their terrorist track and sit down with us to get the Golan back. To sponsor terror against Israelis and Jews is incompatible with your statement. And if Syria, who lost the Golan in a war with Israel, wants it back, then he's the one who needs to sit down and talk with Israel.

Traditionaly, the brazilian policy for its diplomatic position is not taking sides. Brazil only has made it when pushed, like in WW2. The economic situation in the later years put the country in a completly new status that it had never been before, of a serious player in the world diplomatic and economic arenas. In the economic sphere, Brazil goes really fine, always fighting for its own interests, Like every country (which also benifits a lot more countries) but in the diplomatic sphere, Brazil do not goes so well, becuse of the historic agenda of PT, the party that rules the country on the present time. Even being very moderate and pragmatic, the PT is still a leftist party, and it still let themself be dragged by old notions of "fidelity", like allowing Venezuela to join the Mecosul, which wont bring any good for the block, as letting Hondura's depost president, Zellayam using the brazilian embasy as his HQ in the dispute on his country, which violates the own brazilian constitution

People of Israel, be sure Lula is a moderator and he'll work for peace between Jews, Arabs and Iranians. That's what all of us want. Peace and understanding!

Where is even a single positive sign that Syria is preparing her citizens to accept the permanence and legitimacy of a Jewish Sovreign State between Kinneret and the sea? If they were sincere this would be happening. Their aim remains what it has done since 1967; to get back the Golan without having to make peace with Israel. Syria is a weak, possibly failing state which cannot risk antagonising its people by making the big concession to those whom it has spent so much time insisting Israel has no legitimacy and can never by any means acquire it.

There is a growing threat of Islamic expansion occurring in Brazil that has people worried and this makes Brazil a natural ally of Israel.

Palestinians have a right to their state. It was there already, or are you completely senile or in denial?. At the time Israel was "created" it was called " The partition of Palestine". Good night !!

Brazil will not side with Israel against Iran, forget it. Iran is a good business partner and has never negatively affected Brazil. Brazil can be partners to both. Besides, Brazil has a lot to teach in terms of religious freedom, which Israel needs to learn.

...it matters not that Moshe Dayan admitted that Israel stole the Golan Heights. Israel does not care a whit about international law, I should have thought that would be self-evident right now. Israel could have had peace decades ago, but everyone who spends more than five minutes research quickly finds out that Israel in truth, wants all the land and resources and no Arabs. Here. I'll show you how it works. There's even still, after Shimon Peres recently, as reported right here in Haaretz, said they were hallucinating, people who claim that Jordan is Palestine.

eager for the land, but falling woefully short when it comes to full peaceful relations with Israel. If the land is so important to the Arab states, then they should be very willing to be upfront about their willingness to advance a true peace with Israel. Yet to date, details, and actions have been sketchy to say the least.

Although inhabitted by a lovely people Iran is victim of a fanatic ditacture who disregards many human rights as women and homosexuals.Problems that should remain to the 20th century. Then,while the world discusses ways of pacific coexistence between Israel and its neighbours, Iran denies Israel s right to existence. I do hope my beloved country Brazil who dreams of being THE COUNTRY OF THE FUTURE keeps its links the democratic world and Israel and don t fall into the temptation of considering only commercial interest with the iranian dictatorship. Sooner or later iranians will get rid of this regime, as we can see on the papers each day.

I'm surprised how little the Israeli government has focused on public diplomacy with Latin American countries, even though they have so much to offer each other. In most of these countries, people are very pragmatic, and experience with dictatorships taught them not to believe any propaganda they receive. I believe a close relationship with many Latin countries such as Brazil is far more mutually beneficial than one with the USA.

See city of gods ;D

Israel needs to realize it is fighting a losing war. At this point better to cut losses and end the war, instead of Peres doing his trademark high-flying globe trots to "out maneuver the enemy".

... if not a negative influence. Peres can't help to keep repeating Oslo for his burning desire to prove himself that he is right after all. Peres can't imagine himself that he was wrong in Oslo. A pride that no more that an obsession. Is that an old man dying to revive his younger days or Peres is suffering from a guilt complex ! All I know Israel start suffering from the not young Peres. He is trying in any occasion and no occasion to sell Israel cheap & short; specially when he is starting to talk of "not a perfect peace" !

The Arab position is generally clear. Syria wants the Golan Heights. I am sure it can be demilitarized. That's not a problem. The Palestinians and Arabs want East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and if settlements stay then land from 1948 goes to Palestine and some settlements must go in order to make way for a continguous state. Arabs don't want to lose face by meeting directly with Israel and getting a Golan minus much of the Golan. Syria doesn't benefit from a humiliating peace. Syrians and Arabs are definitely willing to live in peace with Israelis and Jews.

This is the way to go, direct talks, breaking the past rules and engaging in direct negotiations. If the will is there then you don't need mediators.

Well, Brazilians doen't need Iran to build for us bicycles, tractors or whatever. We can manage nicely.For myself, I enjoyed very much seeing Peres on Brazilian TV( it went live ). He is a very respected person. As for Iran, we will probably sell food to them. Lula will embrace Ahmadinejad, call him " dear comrade ", blah blah blah and this will be it. Abbas visit will probably lean towards more substantive discussions. We have a large Arab origin population: Lebanese ( the older generation say they came from Syria, not Lebanon, of course ), Syrians and Palestinians, who can put some pressure regarding the peace process or un-process.As De Gaulle ( ? ) used to say: countries don't have friends, they have interests.That's all. Chavez does everything to annoy Americans but don't forget that 70% ( correct me if I'm wrong )of Venezuelan oil exports go to the North. That's about it.

To my knowledge, INMBEL used to sell weapons with western support for Saddam hussein to strike on iranians in the past . During the 1980's . Not quite the iranians, but in war, those who die do not bring their weapons to heaven . Israeli machine guns are the most wanted by drug dealers in Brazil, excellent quality money somehows manages to steal or buy from someone who stole it. Unfortunately so .

From what I have seen the man on the US TV, he does Israel no favors.

One interesting thing was the video released by the IDF from the intercepted Iranian load to Hizzbalah. At about 2:30 mins, an ammo box is shown, clearly marked in portuguese - with 2 107mm rockets made by IMBEL, the Brazilian armament authority, in it. I wonder if Brazil is happy with Iran's reselling of their weapons.

The tradition of Brazilian diplomacy is engagement with all legitimate governments, great to see mr perez coming to visit and many israeli tourists. I'm an atheist and have been to Israel and loved it. I would also like to visit once a thriving Palestinian state next to Israel, in peace with security for both. Seems impossible for many, but the fact the Brazil is willing to get involved, who knows we might be able to help out with peace, neither thwe jewish nor the Palestinian people deserve to live at war forever. Shalom Israel, Salaam Palestine ! If peace takes re-settliong, please come, both are talented and welcome in the tropics.

the Israeli diplomacy is acting in the right time to reach out to Brazil, before the iranian harassment resumes. We must build a real entrepreneurship, bazed on real interests and shared values, explore all fields in witch we could deepen relattions such as football and lot's of others. In the subjective sphere if we tighten our bonds our spirit will be also strengthened.

you are completely uninformed about the Brazil. First, Angra I and II nuclear plants, work badly. How to have the atomic bomb, this was a dream of military dictatorship that existed here until 1985. Today, there is no possibility of building an atomic bomb. In Brazil there are a large and important Jewish community and President Lula has good relations with Jews in Brazil. The contact with Iran, is a matter of international politics very pragmatic. You should read about Brazil before talking nonsense dots, and so many prejudices.

The difference is Iran has it, Brasil hasn't

Brazil wants smaller countries to get nuclear energy but wants to stop nukes. Brazil has two nuclear power plants in operation Angra I and Angra II and large uranium deposits, it shipped 8tons to Iraq in 1981. Iran is a good test case in some ways as well as some of the ex-soviet Muslim states. Iran will most likely become a nuclear power within 10yrs and well as Saudi Arabia who is looking to buy nukes from Pakistan if Iran gets nukes.

I'll bet there aren't any Gay People there either. Big Hint!

Brazil is not likely to blindly accept the accusation that Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program, having been accused of having on itself (there were even calls for sanctions), so don't expect much help there.