Peres with Moratinos
Photo: Oriah Tadmor, Genie
Peres warns no direct talks will lead to 'storm'
President meets with Spanish foreign minister, asks him to pressure Palestinians into direct talks
President Shimon Peres met with Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Miguel Angel Moratinos Wednesday, and asked him to pressure the Palestinians to engage in direct negotiations with Israel.
Peres warned Moratinos that "if we don't move on to direct talks, we will find ourselves in the eye of the storm in September."
"Time is short, and you have the power to reinvigorate the peace process by applying pressure that can lead to the launching of direct talks. I ask that you implore the Palestinians not to miss the opportunity that has been created," the president said.
Moratinos agreed with Peres, and told him that the proximity talks had helped to create a good atmosphere between the sides, but that it was now time to move on to direct talks. He added that his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had given him a reason "to be optimistic" about this.
Peres also commended Moratinos on the new sanctions imposed on Iran's nuclear program by the EU. "You made a responsible decision," he told him. "Europe must protect itself. If I were Russian, French, or Spanish I would not be sleeping well at night."
On the other side of the issue of direct talks are Hamas and eight other terror organizations, which called earlier Wednesday on Abbas not to renew peace talks with Israel. They claimed it would "legitimize the aggressive Israeli policy, the construction in settlements, and the siege on Gaza".
