At a conference on regional cooperation held Monday, President Shimon Peres said that he was in favor of the establishment of an Arab state in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem. “I am in favor of such a state,” Peres said. “I do not want to rule another nation.

“Our issues with the United Nations declaration are twofold – the level of independence of the Palestinian state, and the level of security for Israel,” Peres said. Peres, along with Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom, is representing Israel at the conference.