We share a common dream – to reach peace with our neighbors. There is good
reason for me to hope, realistically, that in the next several weeks we will
renew the peace process with the Palestinians without any preconditions.
For some time, I have said that the international community has learned to
recognize that Israel wants and is ready to renew the peace process. Since
the moment that recognition was internalized, central players in the
international arena have begun to accept the practical feasibility of such a
step. There is a saying: it takes two to tango. In the Middle East, sometimes it
takes three to tango, or at least to start to tango. Later, I suppose, we
will be able to continue on as two. I hope there is a willingness on the Palestinian side- not only to build up
the Palestinian economy and Palestinian institutions, but to begin to build
the peace itself. The only way to achieve a peace agreement is to begin
conducting negotiations towards a peace agreement. If this willingness
really does exist now, we will see a renewal of the process in the next
several weeks.

Tags: Buitenland