“I am not sure the Palestinians like us, I’m not sure we like them…[But] you cannot change your parents, and you cannot change your neighbors… Some of us say let’s wait for the next generation. There is no guarantee that the next generation will be more flexible. We have to make a peace now,” Peres said.

He cited that the Middle East accounts for 8 percent of the world’s population, 2 percent of the world’s economy and 65 percent of world terrorism. “Solving Middle East terrorism is important for the world,” he said.

Peres added that Israel’s acceptance of the creation of a Palestinian state was an important step toward peace.

“You know the basic fact is that Israel has accepted [President Bush’s road map for peace] publicly and must follow it...Israel acknowledges the need to create a Palestinian state. It is up to the Palestinians and the problem with the Palestinians is that they don’t take their own fate in their own hands.”

Peres added that Israel had committed to dismantling the settlements, but recognized opposition.

“In Israel, we are trying to retreat from the settlement map… to dismantle settlements. When it comes to peace, you make concession, and you think you have to negotiate not only with the opposite number. The truth is you have to negotiate with your own people. It is very difficult to explain to somebody that if you want to make peace, don’t win too much.”

Audience reaction to Peres’ appearance at the Kennedy Forum was generally positive.

“He spoke very convincingly. He was very inspiring. I thought that the large forces leading to the state of terrorism that [Peres] spoke of made a lot of sense,” said Rob P. Varady ’06.

Rebecca M. Rohr ’08. a member of Harvard Students for Israel—one of the student organizations sponsoring the event—praised Peres’ speech even though she said she often disagrees with his political views.

“I thought that it was encouraging to hear an Israeli leader so optimistic about the peace process,” Rohr said.