Blue and White list's Moshe Ya'alon criticises 'land for peace'

Former Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya’alon yesterday dismissed the concept of “land for peace” in the context of relations with the Palestinians, in remarks reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Ya’alon, who is also a former head of the Israeli military, is running in April’s elections as part of the Blue and White list headed by Benny Gantz.

Ya’alon was speaking at a conference marking the 40th anniversary later this month of the signing of the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement.

“Today – at the present moment, in the meantime – there is not an Israeli-Arab conflict: There is an Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Ya’alon said, stressing the need to learn lessons from past agreements – particularly with respect to the Palestinians.

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“Instead of land for peace, it has become the territories in return for terrorism or land in return for rockets in the South – and this leads me to the conclusion that we have to be careful when talking about agreements,” Ya’alon said.

“Peace is made out of interests, with clear thinking and not out of wishful thinking or illusions.”

Peace, Ya’alon said, “will come out of strength and not out of weakness; out of the creation of mutual interests between Israel – Jewish, democratic, prosperous and ethical – and its neighbours.”