Barak: Difficult Decisions Soon

Defense Minister Ehud Barak met on Friday with UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon. The two discussed a number of issues, including the direct negotiations that are expected to take place between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

At the meeting, Barak said that Israel hoped those direct talks would begin in the near future, “so that we can make

I hope that everyone understands that both sides will have to make difficult decisions in order to establish a historic peace in our region.
progress towards an arrangement based on two states for two peoples. The negotiations will not be easy, and will require courageous decisions from our side, and from the Palestinian side. I hope that everyone understands that both sides will have to make difficult decisions in order to establish a historic peace in our region. We will need the help of the United Nations in order to advance in the negotiations.”

Barak also asked the UN's help in preventing Hizbullah from smuggling weapons into Lebanon, and to enforce Security Council Resolution 1701, which prevents the rearming of Hizbullah. Barak said that Israel saw the Lebanese government as responsible for all hostile activity against Israel, including that by Hizbullah, emanating from the country.

After the firing of a Grad rocket at Ashkelon on Friday, Israel said it would file a complaint with the UN. Israel Air Force planes responded to the attack on Ashkelon later Friday, bombing three sites in Gaza where rockets and missiles were manufactured. In a statement, the IDF said that it would not tolerate “any attempt to injure Israeli citizens or IDF soldiers, and will act with determination to prevent any terror activity against Israel.”