(Bloomberg,Ynet) -- Israeli President Shimon Peres called for establishing the “widest possible” international coalition to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
“Iran is a source of evil,” Peres said today at a conference in Herzliya, Israel. It threatens “not just the security of Israel, but the security of the Arabs, too, and all nations that want peace and freedom.”
Peres reiterated his vision, that economic development and prosperity are the keys for peace. "I am very concerned about the future of the Middle East, if we fail to take the right steps," he said. "The population in the Middle East has grown threefold in 30 years. Water hasn't, and neither have the treasures. Only poverty. If the Middle East is hungry and disgruntled, we will not be able to establish islands of stability."
The method for creating prosperity and stability, he said, is technological development. "We must adjust to the global reality. The source of livelihood is not land, but science. This requires a fundamental change.
"The Arabs' problem is not the occupation. We will stop the occupation, and they must not be dictated by tomorrow. They must give women equality. Those preventing it are punishing their people."
The president slammed elements in the Arab world "who still claim that Israel is the greatest danger." According to Peres, "Everyone knows Iran is the danger, the enemy of the Arab world and Israel. Israel is willing to evacuate territories, but Iran wants to take over.
"Iran is the biggest problem we're facing," he added. "It's the uranium and the oppressing regime. The young people don't want such a regime. We must recruit the entire world to fight (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad, a combination of an ethical battle and sanctions.
"In the struggle against Iran we have abandoned the ethical aspect. We must attack the ethical aspect. The Iranian government is the climax of governmental corruption. Who is Ahmadinejad? A dictator! We must raise the voice of ethics. Iran is a danger to the world! Iran is the source of evil, not only where Israel's security is concerned, but also against the Arabs."
