Press Conference with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres
Jerusalem, September 3, 2001
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres: We have instructed our delegation
in Durban to come back home. We regret very much the very bizarre
show in Durban. An important convention that was supposed to
defend human rights became a source of hatred, a show of
unfounded accusation, a reverse to every responsibility on the
international arena.
We don't feel defeated. We feel peace was defeated. We don't feel
as though Israel was accused. I think the accusers are the ones
to be blamed.
In 53 years since the establishment of Israel, we were attacked
five times with an attempt to overpower us and to bring an end to
the State of Israel. We stand alone, outnumbered, outgunned, and
we defended our lives. We won all the wars, we won a lot of
territories. We gave back the territories, the water, the oil to
Egypt. We gave back the land, the water to Jordan. We have
withdrawn unilaterally from Lebanon in accordance with UN
Resolution 425. We offered to the Syrians an exchange of land for
peace.
We have offered the Palestinians something that no Arab country
did before us, because the West Bank and the Gaza Strip were
under Arab control. We offered them an independent state. We
offered them to withdraw from most of the territories. We offered
them a position in Jerusalem. They have rejected it. Instead,
there was the intifada, and even today there were four bombs in
Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.
I want to thank the United States of America that took an
extremely courageous position in favor to make the world look
more responsible, more balanced, more truthful. I think the
United States has saved the honor of our world, of our time. I
want to express my thanks to the President of the US, to the
Secretary of State Mr. Colin Powell, for their unhesitating
leadership in favor of a better world. I want also to express my
thanks to 43 countries that took a clear position against this
unbelievable attempt to smear Israel with false colors - among
them, in addition to the United States: the Republic of Russia,
India, the members of the European Union, the countries of East
Europe, most of the countries in Latin America, many countries in
Africa.
We know there are two leagues which began leagues of hatred to
Israel - the Arab League, which calls for belligerency, for
boycott, for severing relations, for bringing an end to the
peaceful efforts; and the Moslem League. We know that we don't
stand a chance to explain our position and to express our hopes.
But I believe that one bloc that usually voted against us, the
bloc of nonaligned nations, was this time was broken into pieces.
Many of its most important members voted against the Arab
proposals, and I am not surprised that some of them remained as
old-fashioned and as prejudiced as they used to be in the past.
We shall be in the camp of freedom, we shall remain in the camp
of peace. We have not lost heart, in spite of all the
difficulties, and we do believe the future is with a world that
is responsible, truthful and free, and looks for relationships
without hatred, without prejudice and without killing.
In response to questions, the Foreign Minister added:
There was not a vote. The 43 countries that I have mentioned
expressed themselves against the proposal. Maybe if it would come
to a vote, there would be more countries that would vote against
the Arab proposal.
We felt that we have to try and see if there is a chance for
returning to the proper direction. That was also the attempt of
the United States. There was an attempt by the Norwegian
delegation to introduce a different language, but it has failed.
We would feel irresponsible if we wouldn't try to introduce an
alternative to this extremely prejudiced, unfounded resolution
which made, in my judgment, a laughing stock of this conference.
If we are talking about a conference of human rights, the first
human right is to remain alive. That is very important for
Israel, because there is an attempt to kill us, destroy us. And
if you don't have the right to remain alive, all the other rights
are irrelevant.