The remarks of Foreign Minister Shimon Peres in a Wednesday interview with NBC may have been misinterpreted in yesterday\'s report. Excerpts thereof are reproduced here, and the reader may judge for him/herself:

\"We want the Palestinians to handle their own life... as if they would have their own state.\"

\"We have suggested full independence... they can have it tomorrow morning...\"

\"Arafat was mistaken when he rejected it, Arafat said he did not reject, so we don\'t have to propose the same thing.\"

\"I think the Palestinians will have second thoughts... I hope that [they] will not make a second mistake.\"

\"Maybe we will suggest some alteration, some changes, the offer we gave to Arafat did not hold water and as a result of Arafat rejecting it, [many Israelis lost faith in Arafat]... Maybe we would look for more guarantees for our security, maybe we would suggest some other proposals concerning the thorny issue of the right of return that Israel cannot accept and I am not sure that Mr. Barak accepted it and also the solution for Jerusalem which may be one variation, but there are many others.\"

\"We do not intend to remain the occupier of Palestinian land.\"