By Anees Barghouthy
JERUSALEM
The threat of boycotts against Israel by foreign institutions and organizations is tantamount to war, former Israeli President Shimon Peres said Monday.
Speaking at the annual Herzliya Conference, Peres said boycotts prevent peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
“The BDS (Boycott, Sanctions, Divestment movement) want to kill the peace negotiations through this policy and they will achieve nothing but hatred,” he said.
Speaking about the peace talks, he stressed that Israel should say if it is for or against a two-state solution.
“I know Abu Mazen (Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas) better than anyone, he is the most convenient Arab leader to negotiate with,” Peres said. “We need to go to the negotiations table as soon as possible.”
The annual Herzliya conference, which is organized by the Institute for Policy and Strategy in Herzliya, is considered one of Israel's most highly-anticipated events.
The city of Herzliya was built on the ruins of Saidna Ali, a Palestinian village destroyed in 1948 in the aftermath of Israel's founding.
It was later renamed Herzliya after Theodore Herzl, considered the founder of modern Zionism.
