Showing posts with label Israeli President Shimon Peres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israeli President Shimon Peres. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Joel C. Rosenberg & Israeli President Shimon Peres

shimonperes-1


Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

I will always cherish the time I met & interviewed Israeli President Shimon Peres for my book, “Epicenter.” Tonight, this Founding Father passed away at 93.

by joelcrosenberg
(Denver, Colorado) -- Shimon Peres, "the last of Israel's founding fathers," died tonight. He was 93. Please be praying for his family and friends as they grieve his loss and try to adjust to a world without this beloved yet controversial giant.
Peres began his political career in his mid-twenties as a trusted aide to David Ben Gurion, the first Prime Minister of the reborn Jewish State in 1948. From there he served in every senior government role there was -- Prime Minister, Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister, and eventually the nation's President.
Last summer I listened to the audio book of Peres' absolutely wonderful and moving biography, Ben Gurion: A Political Life, which I commend to you. Peres had a front row seat to history -- indeed, to ancient Biblical prophecies coming to pass -- but he was not simply an observer of that history, he was an active and at times transformative participant. He helped launch Israel's fledgling air force in the late 40s. He started Israel's nuclear program. He also won the Nobel Prize for his peace-making efforts, even though his moves towards the Palestinians were deeply divisive inside Israel.
I will always cherish the time I met and briefly interviewed Peres in the fall of 2005 for the non-fiction book, Epicenter: Why The Current Rumblings In The Middle East Will Change Your Future, I was working on at the time. In light of his passing, I thought I'd post a few excerpts and hope it gives you a little insight into this intriguing figure of Jewish history.

The Bear Hug

Are Israel and her neighbors moving closer to war or to peace?
Nowhere was this conundrum more vividly on display for me than at the “Peace: Dream or Vision?” conference I attended in Israel in the fall of 2005, commemorating the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, the beloved Israeli prime minister who signed the historic peace treaty with Jordan’s King Hussein in 1994.
Outside the conference center at the Strategic Dialogue Center of Netanya Academic College were all the reminders of the “wars and rumors of wars” that Jesus said would plague the world until his return—a phalanx of heavily armed security guards, metal detectors, bomb-sniffing dogs, and so forth. To get in I had to not only show my passport to the security staff but give it to them to hold on to until I left, and my camera, camera bag, tape recorder, and briefcase were all searched carefully—as was I—before I was allowed to proceed.
But inside were all the reminders of Israelis “living securely” in “the land that is restored from the sword,” which Ezekiel predicted. One moment I was watching former Mossad chief Danny Yatom chatting like old buds with Dr. Abdel Salam Majali, the former Jordanian prime minister, and Osama El-Baz, the chief political advisor to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. The next moment I was watching Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian chief negotiator, give a bear hug to former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres. Once they were all enemies. Now they were all friends. Once they were plotting each other’s demise. Now they were talking about their shared vision for a “new Middle East.”
Such warm relationships between Arab and Israeli leaders may seem insignificant, but they most certainly are not. They actually represent enormous progress toward resolving the conflict. Let me give you a little anecdote to provide some context.
In April of 1988, ABC’s Ted Koppel took Nightline to Israel for a week of broadcasts on the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising known as the intifada and the increasingly desperate need for peace and reconciliation between the two sides. Having recently returned to the States after nearly six months in Israel, where I had studied at Tel Aviv University and witnessed the outbreak of the intifada, I watched Koppel’s show with great interest every night in my dorm room at Syracuse University.
On April 25, Koppel held the first-ever town hall meeting between Israelis and Palestinians, broadcast live from the historic Jerusalem Theater. It was bound to be riveting television, for never before had Israeli and Palestinian leaders sat on the same stage together, much less engaged in anything close to a dialogue. But when the show began, I was surprised to see a three-foot-high stone wall running down the middle of the stage. The Israelis sat on one side, the Palestinians on the other. It was a sad symbol of the divide between the two peoples.
Years later, I was interviewed by Koppel on Nightline. After the tap­ing was finished, I had the opportunity to ask Koppel about that wall. “It came up at almost the last minute,” he explained, remembering the moment vividly. “We were just a few hours from going on live from Jerusalem—at 6:30 in the morning, Israel time, mind you, so that the show would be on at 11:30 p.m. back in the U.S.—and suddenly the Palestinians said they refused to appear onstage with the Israelis without sitting in a booth, so they didn’t appear to actually be talking to the Israelis. We said absolutely not. So they asked that we put razor wire down the center of the stage, and again we said no. Finally, they asked that we build a wall—just a small wall, they said—to represent how divided Arabs and Jews are. They threatened not to appear at all if we didn’t do it, so we did it. It was an amazing night.”6
It certainly was. And one of the Palestinians who appeared onstage that night was Saeb Erekat. Then he had refused to shake hands with the Israelis. He had barely made eye contact with them. And he had demanded a wall. Now, at the peace conference in Netanya, he was giving bear hugs. How much the world had changed.7

“A New Age” in the Middle East?

Shimon Peres is a living legend in Israel and is one of the country’s founding fathers. I have long disagreed with his Socialist economic views and a foreign policy too dovish, in my opinion. But I have always respected this man who served his country not once but three times as prime minister and in numerous other ministerial positions and who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994.
I had never met the former prime minister before that conference in Netanya, but having worked for Benjamin Netanyahu—who defeated Peres in 1996—I was very much looking forward to it.
Now in his eighties, Peres is quieter and slower and more grand­fatherly than he once was, but he is still a dreamer. He told the assembled dignitaries that he believes the Middle East is entering “a new age” and that he has never been more optimistic that a final peace agreement with the Palestinians can be reached in the not-too-distant future.
“The Lord is in charge of the beginning and the end, but we are ­responsible for the middle,” he said, insisting that there is no contradiction between fighting terror and negotiating for peace. “When a cat is chasing a mouse, there’s no sense for the mouse to ask for a cease-fire. He must deal with the cat and insure his own safety.”
After Peres’s keynote address, I had a few minutes to interview the former prime minister. “Is it your sense that Israel is more secure today—before we get to the point of the Iran nuclear bomb—than it has been in its history so far?” I asked.
Peres agreed with that assessment. “I would say that Israel’s security was globalized,” he explained in his distinctive, gravelly voice, suggesting that with the U.S. as a strong ally, the fall of Saddam, and peace treaties in place with Egypt and Jordan, the threat Israel faces today is “the problem of terror, rather than a classical attack” by a conventional Arab army or air force.8
Had the passing of Arafat—the Nobel Peace Prize winner who never actually made peace—helped or hurt the prospects for a final deal with the Palestinians? I wondered.
“With him, [the peace process] wouldn’t have started,” Peres insisted. “With him, it wouldn’t be finished.”.....
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joelcrosenberg | September 28, 2016 at 4:32 am | Categories: Epicenter | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-5IA

Monday, May 26, 2014

Pope Visits Yad Vashem, Calls for Two-State Solution - CBN News

Pope Visits Yad Vashem, 
Calls for Two-State Solution

CBN News - Chris Mitchel Monday, May 26, 2014

BEN GURION AIRPORT, Israel -- Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Pope Francis at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday.

The pontiff's trip is the third papal visit to Israel since the year 2000. He came with the goal of building bridges -- within the church, between faiths -- and bridging the political divide between Israelis and Palestinians.

Francis issued a surprise invitation to both Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to pray together at the Vatican. Both accepted and plan to come to Rome in early June.

On the last day of his two-day visit, Francis prayed at the Western Wall in the Old City and visited Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Memorial, where he met with Holocaust survivors and prayed, "Never again Lord, never again."

Historic Christian Declaration

One major reason for the Pope's visit is to sign a joint declaration with Barthlomew, the patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church. The declaration marks the 50th anniversary of the end of a rift between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches, which began nearly 1,000 years ago.

Both men expressed grave concern for Christian persecution in the Middle East, an issue Netanyahu also addressed.

"Your Holiness, in the heart of the Middle East, the turbulent and violent Middle East, where Christians are often persecuted, Israel is an island of tolerance," MK Rabbi Dov Lipman told CBN News. "We also hope he basks in the holiness of Jerusalem and also recognizes the importance of a unified Jerusalem where there's access for all faiths to their places of worship."

During his visit, Pope Francis called for a two-state solution. That means a divided Jerusalem since Palestinians also want the city as their capital.

Watch here: CBN News video

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

German Government Concludes 'Special' Visit to Israel

German Government Concludes 'Special' Visit to Israel

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff  
“I assure you, Angela, the people of Israel want peace, real peace.” This was the point underlined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Jerusalem this week.
Israel wants a peace that will bring a true end to the conflict with the Palestinians. For this to happen, the Palestinians, and indeed the wider Arab world, need to recognize Israel’s right to exist and to exist as a Jewish state.
Additionally, given the violence visited against Israel in her short modern history, the Jewish state’s security concerns must be adequately addressed.
In a visit in which she brought nearly her entire cabinet to Jerusalem, Merkel largely supported Israel’s peace conditions. Both she and Netanyahu highlighted the close friendship between their two nations, with Merkel stating that Germany would continue to work “shoulder-to-shoulder” to ensure Israel’s security. According to Merkel, a key component of that future security is a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians.
The Israeli media largely hailed the visit as extremely positive and evidence that far from being isolated, Israel still has very close friends among the leading nations of the West.
The local media did focus a lot of attention on German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s remarks that Jewish settlements in the so-called “West Bank” were an obstacle to peace. But that view was and has been echoed throughout the German government and opposition.
Besides discussing the peace process, Netanyahu and Merkel were able to hammer an agreement that will allow young Germans and Israelis (aged 18–30) to visit and legally work in one another’s countries for up to one year.
At the conclusion of the German delegation’s visit, Israeli President Shimon Peres presented Merkel with the Medal of Honor, Israel’s highest civilian award. Merkel is the first European politician to ever receive that honor.
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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

"Canada will stand with Israel." - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper - 'Through fire and water, Canada will stand with Israel'

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, 
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and wives




'Through fire and water, Canada will stand with Israel'

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers stirring pro-Israel speech at the Knesset • Harper: I believe the story of Israel is a great example to the world • Two Arab MKs disrupt Harper's speech • Netanyahu: Harper stands up for the truth.

Gideon Alon, Shlomo Cesana, Daniel Siryoti, Israel Hayom Staff and News Agencies
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper addresses the Knesset on Monday
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 Photo credit: Dudi Vaaknin

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Paula Abdul connects to her Jewish roots on tourist trip to Israel

'It's been magical and emotional': Paula Abdul connects to her Jewish roots on tourist trip to Israel


Paula Abdul with Israel President Shimon Peres

She may have became famous from her hit songs, impressive choreography and judging on American Idol, but Paul Abdul explored her spiritual side during a recent trip to Israel.

The former American Idol and The X Factor judge discussed her Jewish heritage and even said she was planning on holding a belated Bat Mitzvah - the Jewish coming of age ceremony girls typically have at age 12 or 13.

'Beyond being Jewish, I've always found myself to be very much in tune with spirituality,' the 51-year-old told The Associated Press. 'I feel very grateful coming to Israel now, where as a woman I know who I am a lot more than even 10 years ago.'

Pleased to meet you Mr President: Paula Abdul shares a laugh with Shimon Peres in Israel
Pleased to meet you Mr President: Paula Abdul shares a laugh 
with Shimon Peres in Israel 

An official guest of Israel's ministry of tourism, Abdul has been touring the country and visiting holy sites, museums and markets in Jerusalem. Israeli President Shimon Peres also hosted the former Lakers Girl.

Abdul said the trip has provided her a rare opportunity to experience the country like a 'regular tourist' without the nonstop schedule of a concert tour.

'I've traveled the world touring and things like that but I don't get the chance to see much of wherever I'm at,' she said. Abdul described the visit as 'the most magnificent trip I've ever taken... magical and emotional.'

After a music career that saw her have six number one singles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Abdul reinvented herself as a quirky judge of talent on American Idol. 

She left the U.S. talent show in 2009 after eight seasons over a contract dispute. She later had one season as a judge on the U.S. version of The X Factor. She'll appear next year as a judge on Australia's version of So You Think You Can Dance.

These days though, Abdul describes herself as 'a fan of talent.' She also said she tries to dance as much as she can. 'I dance because I have to, because I'm so passionate about it,' Abdul said.

She's famous here too: Abdul is well known for her hit singles, her choreography and her American Idol judging
She's famous here too: Abdul is well known for her hit singles, her choreography 
and her American Idol judging 


Going for gold: Paula in full glamorous mode in a floor length dress at a Fox party in Los Angeles last month
Going for gold: Paula in full glamorous mode in a floor length dress 
at a Fox party in Los Angeles last month


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2486981/Paula-Abdul-connects-Jewish-roots-tourist-trip-Israel.html#ixzz2lBmtsnMc 


Check here: Daily Mail UK