(Communicated by the Office of the President)

 

President Shimon Peres today (Thursday), 23 February 2012, in Jerusalem, addressed the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on the last day of its Annual Leadership Mission to Israel.

 

Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, President Peres said:

 

"The State of Israel is a sovereign state. She has the right and the capacity to defend herself against any threat. When we say that all options are on the table, we really mean it. A nuclear Iran is a strategic threat, not only to Israel but to the world at large. Iran is a center of moral corruption and it feeds and arms world terrorism. We have witnessed over the last days an upgrade in sanctions against Iran. The President of the United States is leading this policy and has been able to convince the Europeans and others to join him. I appreciate it and I know that all those leaders have the same view, to use the economic sanctions but to keep all other options on the table."

 

President Peres added that he had spoken with the leaders of Russia, France and Germany and noted that he understood from them that they are well aware of the great danger posed by the combination of the leadership of the ayatollahs with a nuclear bomb.