During a press conference in Prague on Monday, President Shimon Peres expressed optimism that Israel's next government can achieve Mideast peace, despite the presence of parties within the incoming coalition traditionally opposed to making concessions to the Palestinians.
His comments appeared aimed a soothing both US and EU concern that the new government under Benjamin Netanyahu may abandon the concept of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel as the primary goal of a Western-backed "road map" to peace in the Middle East.
Peres seized on that promise by expressing optimism that the new government will be fully committed to seeking a Middle East settlement.
"They say 'we shall continue the negotiations with the Palestinians,'" he told reporters. "They say 'we shall negotiate with each one of our neighbors,' they say 'yes, we would like to develop the regional economic opportunities, and they say also we are going to see what can be done in terms of peace on regional level.'
"And then they are saying also they are going to respect the previous government commitments. So I would think this is a very reasonable and promising beginning."
