The European Union expressed its faith in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on Monday, but President Shimon Peres believes there is not much time left. "We are starting the countdown for peace, and time is running out," he said Tuesday at a Galilee convention in the northern city of Beit Shean.
"There are serious processes of de-legitimizing Israel, radical Islamization in the region and Iran arming itself. We must come to our senses now. There is not much time left for discussions," the president warned.
Addressing the situation in the Galilee, Peres estimated that a permanent peace agreement would speed up the development of the area.
"There is no peace that is not regional peace. There is no country which not affected by the global economy, and security no longer depends on one country. In this era missiles can be fired on us not just from Gaza, but even from Alaska."
The European Union pressed the Israeli government on Monday to freeze settlement building, offered the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip more aid and urged Israel to open Gaza’s border crossings more fully to increase trade.
EU foreign ministers "noted with regret" Israel’s failure to extend a moratorium on construction of Jewish settlements, and took a stand at odds with the decision by the United States to drop efforts to persuade Israel to freeze settlement building.
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