Israeli President Shimon Peres told Japan’s Kyodo News in Jerusalem yesterday that Barack Obama should wait to hold talks with Iran until after the presidential elections in Iran. I assume his suggestion is made in an attempt to keep the resultant kudos away from Ahmadinejad’s performance as President of Iran, disabling him from claiming the ultimate coup in his otherwise dismal foreign relations report card, namely re-starting negotiations leading to relations with the US after a 30-year break.
“I hope that it won’t be done before the elections (in Iran) because it may affect the results of the elections.” he said.
To be sure, this could be a fair statement made by any political analyst anywhere in the world under normal circumstances. Then again, under normal circumstances, for another country’s leader to publicly make such a suggestion or request is a bit odd, as there are diplomatic venues and tools routinely employed by world leaders for dialogue and negotiations with each other. Telling it to a Japanese news agency hardly seems to be the appropriate mechanism, or is it? Does Mr. Peres feel somehow limited in his access to President Elect Obama to convey his suggestion without much public hoopla for or against it? Why would he use a routine interview to make such an important request/suggestion? Powerful and effective as Jewish lobby has been in the US, why would such an important request be conveyed publicly and in a round about way?
I don’t believe the world has another six months for hatred and war, suspicion and alienation, and I don’t belive Mr. Obama can delay making good on his campaign promises, including the one he made on establishing direct negotiations with Iran at the highest level (which everyone assumed meant the Supreme Leader and not Mahmoud Ahmadinejad).
What do you think Barack Obama would do? Do you believe he would heed Mr. Peres’ call?
