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Source: http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2012/President_Peres_Medal_Freedom_13-Jun-2012.htm
Peres: The Iranian People Are Not Our Enemy (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs) - Israeli President Shimon Peres said Wednesday at the White House: I receive this honor today on behalf of the people of Israel. They are the true recipients of this honor. With this moving gesture, you are paying tribute to generations upon generations of Jews who dreamed of, and fought for, a state of their own. A state that would give them shelter. A state that they could defend. You are honoring the pioneers who built homes on barren mountains, on shifting sands. Fighters who sacrificed their lives for their country. On their behalf, I thank America for days of concern, for sleepless nights, caring for our safety, for our future. The Iranian people are not our enemy. It is the present leadership that became a threat. It turned Iran into a danger to world peace. It is a leadership that aims to rule the Middle East. Spreading terror all over the world. They are trying to build a nuclear bomb. They bring darkness to a world longing for light. The Iranian threat must be stopped. The Palestinians are our closest neighbors. I believe they may become our closest friends. The duty of leaders is to pursue freedom ceaselessly, even in the face of hostility. Now the young Arab generation has opened its eyes and stood up against oppression, poverty, and corruption. They seek freedom. They understand that freedom begins at home. I pray for their success. My vision is an Israel living in full, genuine peace, joining with all the people of the Middle East, former enemies and new friends alike. Jerusalem becoming the capital of peace.