JERUSALEM -- If Israel heads toward a military strike on Iran, they shouldn't go it alone, Israeli President Shimon Peres said Tuesday in an interview for the Global News program The West Block with Tom Clark.
The president's comments pile onto the deluge already heard in the debate on the issue, with several current and former officials taking a public stance against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the issue.
"Iran is trying to be the mother and father of terrorism," Peres said of the potential nuclear threat. "It's not a matter of gestures, or that sort of thing. It must be organized. It's better to do (it with) a coalition. I think that's the right way to do it."
Meanwhile, Netanyahu and Israeli Denfence Minister Ehud Barak have taken hard-line positions that all options, including an independent attack, are on the table.
Peres' comments have been echoed, both by the country's top military officer, who suggested during an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and by former prime minister Ehud Olmert that the threat Iran is posing less urgent than Netanyahu is letting on.
Peres, too, tried to cool the rhetoric in his exclusive one-on-one interview.
Rather than throwing armed forces at Iran, Peres said the conflict must be dealt with by processes such as economic sanctions, which seem to be working at present.
On Syria, another battleground in the region, Peres was adamant the the slaughter of innocent civilians has to stop, but stressed that military intervention involving countries like Canada isn't the best course at the moment.
Last year, a multi-national coalition including Canada intervened in Libya, enforcing a no-fly zone and launching air strikes against Libyan tanks and vehicles.
"Canada (wants) to stop the killing of children... Maybe there are other means. Nobody wants to kill, but everybody wants to stop the killing," Peres said.
"I'm telling you, as a human being, I have the highest respect for the people in revolt. Every day to go and demonstrate, in the face of fire and loss of life, that's courage."
The United Nations has said more than 9,000 people have died or been killed since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad started in March last year.
Despite the death toll of the uprising, part of the Arab Spring that started in Tunisia and gripped the Arab world beginning in December 2010, Peres said he remains optimistic that democracy will prevail.
Original Article
Source: global news
Author: Global News/The West Block
The president's comments pile onto the deluge already heard in the debate on the issue, with several current and former officials taking a public stance against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the issue.
"Iran is trying to be the mother and father of terrorism," Peres said of the potential nuclear threat. "It's not a matter of gestures, or that sort of thing. It must be organized. It's better to do (it with) a coalition. I think that's the right way to do it."
Meanwhile, Netanyahu and Israeli Denfence Minister Ehud Barak have taken hard-line positions that all options, including an independent attack, are on the table.
Peres' comments have been echoed, both by the country's top military officer, who suggested during an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and by former prime minister Ehud Olmert that the threat Iran is posing less urgent than Netanyahu is letting on.
Peres, too, tried to cool the rhetoric in his exclusive one-on-one interview.
Rather than throwing armed forces at Iran, Peres said the conflict must be dealt with by processes such as economic sanctions, which seem to be working at present.
On Syria, another battleground in the region, Peres was adamant the the slaughter of innocent civilians has to stop, but stressed that military intervention involving countries like Canada isn't the best course at the moment.
Last year, a multi-national coalition including Canada intervened in Libya, enforcing a no-fly zone and launching air strikes against Libyan tanks and vehicles.
"Canada (wants) to stop the killing of children... Maybe there are other means. Nobody wants to kill, but everybody wants to stop the killing," Peres said.
"I'm telling you, as a human being, I have the highest respect for the people in revolt. Every day to go and demonstrate, in the face of fire and loss of life, that's courage."
The United Nations has said more than 9,000 people have died or been killed since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad started in March last year.
Despite the death toll of the uprising, part of the Arab Spring that started in Tunisia and gripped the Arab world beginning in December 2010, Peres said he remains optimistic that democracy will prevail.
Source: global news
Author: Global News/The West Block
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