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Thursday, November 29, 2007
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Ppredicts 'Collapse' of Israel
November 29, 2007
Sheldon Alberts
CanWest News Services
WASHINGTON -- A day after their optimistic pledge to negotiate peace within a year, Israeli and Palestinian leaders faced the more sobering realities of Middle East politics Wednesday as Iran predicted Israel would "collapse" before any deal is reached.
With President George W. Bush acting as host, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held a symbolic negotiating session at the White House ahead of the first formal talks next month.
"It was a hopeful beginning," Bush said following the meeting.
"One thing I've assured both gentlemen is that the United States will be actively engaged in the process, that we will use our power to help you as you come up with the necessary decisions to lay out a Palestinian state that will live side by side in peace with Israel."
The White House has been basking in the relatively warm reviews it has received from more than 40 nations -- including Saudi Arabia and Syria -- that participated in the one-day Annapolis peace conference on Tuesday.
But it was the response of nonparticipants that grabbed the attention of Bush, Abbas and Olmert on Wednesday.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the Annapolis summit as a "failure" and said no deal would be possible without the consent of Hamas, the extremist group that controls Gaza and is backed by Tehran.
"It is impossible that the Zionist regime will survive. Collapse is in the nature of this regime because it has been created on aggression, lying, oppression and crime," Ahmadinejad said following an Iranian cabinet meeting.
"Soon, even the most politically doltish individuals will understand that this conference was a failure from the beginning."
Israel placed its security services on high alert amid renewed threats from Hamas and as Palestinian militants intensified rocket attacks. Military officials reported 16 rockets and mortars were fired into southern Israel.
Mark Regev, an Israeli government spokesman, said he expected Iran and its allies in Hamas and Hezbollah to "try to torpedo" the peace talks before serious talks begin.
"Iran makes no bones about it: they're opposed to peace. They're opposed to reconciliation," Regev said.
The U.S. had sought to isolate Iran by convincing Syria to attend the Annapolis meetings, and was rewarded when Syria's deputy foreign minister, Fayssal Mekdad, welcomed the new round of negotiations.
"Despite all the difficulties and differing opinions on this conference in Annapolis, Syria hopes that our meeting will constitute a point of departure for a peace process," Mekdad said.
Ahmadinejad responded with thinly veiled criticism of the Syrian government.
"We regret that some people fell victim to the cursed Zionist regime and they are mistaken if they thought this meeting was an achievement for them or helps reinforce the Zionists," he said.
Meantime, many Israelis and Palestinians alike remain deeply skeptical that their two leaders will reach a peace agreement, let alone successfully sell it to their respective populations.
Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian Authority's chief spokesman, said Abbas will be seeking a "package deal" that addresses every major issue of concern.
"There are six issues that need to be solved as a package. And these are Jerusalem, borders, settlements, refugees, security, water," Erekat said in a televised interview.
"And I think the Israelis will not go less than end of claims, end of conflict."
Abbas and Olmert have committed to holding bi-weekly talks aimed at completing a peace agreement before the end of 2008.
link to original article
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