Peres blasts Rohani's Davos speech
Lack of support for peace, no guarantee to stop equipping Hezbollah 'was a great occasion that was missed,' president says on Iranian leader's Davos speech
President Shimon Peres sharply criticized Iranian President Hassan Rohani's speech at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Thursday.
“The most significant remarks were the ones he didn’t make. He didn’t express support for peace in the Middle East,” Peres said in Davos, who is also attending the event.
“He is the only leader I know who didn’t say clearly that the time has come to make peace between Israel and the Arabs.”
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Peres also noted that Rohani had excluded with a smile the reference to peace made by forum Chairman Klaus Schwab and when asked if his vision included all countries, "Rohani said it included only the countries that Tehran will accept. That is some definition.”
Peres said Rohani completely disregarded the picture of the larger Middle East situation, which has been covered in clouds of war in the recent past.
"He didn't announce that in order to reduce the bloodshed in Syria he's going to stop sending arms and money to Hezbollah to the stop the killing," Peres said.
"He could have announced that seeing as he doesn't want a nuclear bomb that he will stop building long range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. He didn't announce that Iran will stop being the center of terror in our time.”
The president said Israel was ready to make peace with Iran, and historically the two people have never been enemies.
“We extend our hand for peace, including to the Iranian people, but today was a great occasion that was missed."
Peres called the speech "half a job, and the most important half wasn't done.”
“Peace is peace for all people, without exclusion."
