Israeli Defence Minister Discusses Iran, Syria with US Counterpart

By Israel TV Channel 1, Jerusalem, in Hebrew 1800 18 Apr 07
BBC Monitoring Middle East
04/19/2007
ARTICLE

Text of report by Israel TV on 18 April

The US secretary of defence launched his brief but important visit to Israel with a meeting with his battered counterpart, Amir Peretz. The meeting addressed several issues, the main being naturally the Iranian nuclear programme, an issue of great concern to both sides.

[Begin Peretz recording] 2007 is a critical year for diplomatic efforts aiming to thwart Iran's nuclear plan. I applaud the United States on the successful endorsement of UN resolutions designed to impose tighter sanctions on Iran. [end recording]

No US defence secretary has visited Israel in eight years. Gates's predecessor Rumsfeld had furiously called off a planned visit after an Israeli arms deal with China was exposed. Gates used the Israeli podium to send a very firm message to Syria of all countries, possibly in reaction to the war declarations Damascus made in the past two days.

[Begin Gates recording, in English] The United States has diplomatic relations with the Government of Syria. That doesn't mean we approve of much of anything that they do. [end recording]

Despite the firm message and the report on constructive discussions with Peretz, the truly sensitive matters will be presumably clinched in meetings Gates will hold tomorrow - first with Foreign Minister Livni, and then with Prime Minister Olmert.

[A similar 1614 gmt report by Doron Nahum in NRG Ma'ariv in Hebrew, website of Ma'ariv daily, adds: "Minister Peretz pointed out that 'Iran is a threat to the entire free world, not to Israel alone.' 'This problem concerns everyone, and we are sure that the free world will not stand idly by,' he added. Peretz stressed that although the diplomatic track is preferable, other options cannot be ruled out."

[Peretz is further quoted as saying that 'the United States may be geographically far away from Israel, but we are close in our hearts.'"

[The report goes on to say: "The US defence secretary referred to the fact that such meeting had not been held in a long time: 'I was surprised that I am the first US defence secretary to visit Israel in eight years.' He added that the talk was favourable and constructive: 'We discussed Syria and Iran. I presented my position, which is that the Iranian issue has to be tackled through diplomatic channels, and that their programme should be respected.'"]