Peres: No plans to return to party politics

President promises to serve country in other ways once term ends next summer, says Obama must uphold his commitments on Iran

By ToI Staff 2 December 2013, 5:00 am

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US President Barack Obama, center, is greeted by President Shimon Peres, left, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in March (photo credit: AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Shimon Peres, whose term as president will end next July, said he is not contemplating a return to party politics.

“I plan to serve the country in informal ways,” he told Israel Hayom in an interview from Mexico where the president was on a state visit Sunday.

“I think that politics today are in need of greater goodwill, or at least better organization. I will contribute what I can. I have no plans to represent a party. I was approached prior to elections and since then they know I’m not interested. What I can say is that I will continue to care about the country. I was elected for a seven-year term. I think it’s proper to start the job in due time and to leave in due time,” he said.

“I will complete my term on July 15, and that’s it. I want to complete my term with dignity. I served for as long I could, faithfully and with honor,” he concluded.

Earlier this month, Channel 1 reported that Peres was considering making a comeback by setting up a new political party when he steps down

The report named former Mossad chief Meir Dagan and former Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin as two other possible members of a new Peres-led political grouping.

Dagan and Diskin have been two of the most outspoken critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the Iranian nuclear crisis in recent years. Peres, for his part, has been more subtly at odds with Netanyahu over the issue, repeatedly declaring that he has full confidence in President Barack Obama’s handling of the matter, while Netanyahu has indicated profound concern that the US and others are being duped by Iran.

“President Obama went very far with his commitments. He made unequivocal declarations and he must uphold these commitments. I believe he will do this first through economic and diplomatic means,” Peres said in the interview.