Iran is more isolated, internally, externally, and has fewer friends in the world. The people of Iran are making [the moral] argument clearly.
President Peres to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden:
Ahmadinejad must be called by his name—a military dictator who hangs people in the streets. He cannot go around like a hero.
President Peres met with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden today at the President’s Residence. The two discussed the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, the proximity talks, the American-Israeli strategic alliance, the Iranian nuclear threat, and other issues on the agenda.
President Peres welcomed his guest “I want to express our profound appreciation for your visit—not just because you are the Vice President of the United States, but because you are a historic friend of Israel. From an early age you showed friendship, understanding, and judgment that we appreciate to this very day. You are coming on a mission of peace and you understand the two sides of the mission. I do not see any contradiction between these two.”
The President added that from the Israeli perspective there are three proper avenues for action. The first is “moral sanctions. Ahmadinejad must be called by his name—a military dictator who hangs people in the streets. He cannot go around like a hero. As President Obama’s philosophical mentor, Reinhold Niebuhr said, we must fight moral corruption.” The second is economic sanctions. The third is to “surround Iran with an envelope of defensive measures against missiles and nuclear threats. Nobody knows exactly what the Iranians are going to do, but self-defense will be an additional weight.”
Vice President Biden responded that “Israel captured my heart, I make no bone about it. I know that does not mean I do not understand and have great empathy for the circumstance of the Palestinians, but Israel captured my heart and my imagination. I have had the great privilege of not only knowing you, but knowing every Prime Minister and President since the days of Golda Meir.”
The Vice President added that “President Obama insisted on engaging with Iran in the hope that there would be some movement. But the reality was so that we could point out to the rest of the world the need to deal with many of the things you mentioned. Iran today is more isolated, internally, externally, and has fewer friends in the word. The people of Iran are making [the moral] argument clearly.”
Speaking about the peace negotiations the Vice President stated that “we are at a moment of real opportunity. I hope the beginning of indirect or proximity talks is a vehicle by which we can begin to allay that layer of mistrust that has built over the last several years.”
The Vice President concluded by “saying one thing that I know you understand. I know you understand it about me, and I know you understand it about President Obama. There is absolutely no space between the United States in Israel in terms of Israel’s security and our mutual security. None. None at all.”
A note inscribed in the President’s Residence guestbook by the Vice President read “the bond between our two nations has been and will remain unshakeable. Only together can we achieve lasting peace in the region. I take comfort in knowing that you will be our partner in achieving this goal. May God continue to bless the great nation of Israel and its people. You are a great man.”
Government Press Office
