Photo: Marco Castro/UN
Israeli president Shimon Peres has called Iran the central obstacle to peace in the Middle East. In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Peres called Iran a center of fanaticism and accused it of supporting the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state and developing a nuclear capacity. "Tehran combines long-range missiles and short-range minds," Peres said. "It is pregnant with tragedies. The General Assembly and the Security Council bear responsibility to prevent agonies before they take place."
Peres' speech came a day after Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking from the same podium, had called Zionists "murderers" who manipulated global finance and politics to serve their "acquisitive" interests.
Peres urged Syria to engage in face-to-face peace talks and to follow the example set by Egypt and Jordan, both of which have concluded peace agreements with the Jewish state. He further predicted that peace with the Palestinians would be achieved within the coming year. Concluding his remarks, Peres donned a kippah and recited a prayer for peace in both Hebrew and English.
Click here to read the full speech of Shimon Peres.
Read about the WJC's campaign to Stop the Iranian Threat
