I agree with your overall assessment of Mr. Peres higlighted by his latest response--not a defense--to the Turkish P.M. Turkey has been ruthless in their attacks on Kurdish civilians in response to Kurds' attacks on Tky arrmed forces. Tky even crosses the border into Iraq to go after Kds. Kudos too the the Rabbanute for breaking ties with the Pope for his un-G-dly reversal of the Bishop's excummunication from the churck for his holocaust denial statements. Now we have to get the Israeli govt to cancel the Pope's planned trip in protest and NGO's to break off dialogue with the Church for awhile to demonstrate our revulsion of the Pope's act. It did not take the Pres of Iran to lock onto the Pope's actions as vindication for his H denial positions as proof, aid, and comfort that he has been right. Let the Church find solace and brotherhood with the Muslims if they think that's where their best interests lie, until the Muslims kill them in Europe like in every Arab country and Bethleham.

I'm amazed that the Western media calls Turkey an ally of Israel and that they say the two countries have good relations.

Peres was excellent. Erdogan was an oaf as usual.

he (Peres) called two minutes later to apologize to the Turkish idiot.

Apologize for what?

Yes he spoke very nicely.

But...

being 'right' never helped us.

It is an enigma how someone can know all of these so so so simple arguments - know that these people reject them - and still think there is someone to talk to.

Peres finishes giving a speech on how we are only reponding to murderous rockets over a 4 period and the turkey can only talk about how *Israel* murders people.

These people have no capacity to see *anything*wrong with themselves.

So why does peres continue talking to them and pretending that they are fair in any sense.

Would we continue to try and find favor in Hitler's eyes?

Paroah? Nevuchadnezzaer?

Stalin?

Chemielnitzki?

Why do we give our enemies legitmcacy?

And this also relates to the issue of Haredim and for that matter *ANYONE* serving in the army.

*NO ONE* has any duty to serve in an army whose political leadership is so wahcked as to sacrifice the lives of it's soldiers for NOTHING. Or to protect the innocent palestinian civilians. Some pipe dream of peace with the Hitlers of today.

Haredim have an out - they should use it.

Hilonim should rise up in protest - if they don't than they have brought this upon themselves.

But it is not our problem.

Fight for our saftey - yes, but risk lives for nothing at all.

no.

Shame on Peres.

Such a smart gifted man who remains delusional even after reaching his dignigfied gevuros.

I was never a supporter of Peres 15 years of so ago. But, in the last decade that has changed. It probably started around the time of the Grapes of Wrath operation.

Anyway, I love to watch him talk. He speaks calmly, eloquently and beautifully. He is also strong, and recently I saw him deal with Sky News anchor Eamone Holmes who was operating the typical western media israel-bashing but Peres would have none of it. It was his measured and clear answers that won the argument.