Israel Defense Minister says Israel strong enough and confident enough to make necessary peace concessions

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel is strong enough and confident enough to make necessary Mideast peace concessions. He told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that Israel must regain initiative by presenting a 'daring' offer to the Palestinians in order to avoid global isolation.

When asked if Israel would be perceived as "weak" if it would make Mideast peace concessions, Barak claimed in the interview released Thursday that Israel is the strongest country for 1,000 miles around Jerusalem. "We should be self-confident enough not to lose sight of what has to be done," he said. "What we need is a sense of direction and a readiness to take decisions. We have to do it," he added. "It's clear to me that Israel at this junction should act and not be paralyzed by the uncertainties, low visibility, volcanic eruptions and historical earthquake around us."

The Israeli minister reiterated Israel's need to take the initiative. "We need to put something on the table, whether behind closed doors to the president or in public. We need to be ready to move toward a daring proposal that will include the readiness to deliver an answer to all the core issues."

Asked if he felt such concession would work in establishing peace, Barak said that he couldn't say for sure it will work. "It probably won't. But we have a responsibility and a commitment to move," he explained. "We should make it genuine, that if an agreement cannot be achieved at this juncture, the responsibility is on the other side's shoulders. Probably along the way we will find that while we are trying to find a breakthrough for a fully-fledged agreement, only an interim one can be achieved. So let's find it," he added.

Barak also said that Israel was prepared for "all three possibilities: a breakthrough agreement, stalemate or an interim agreement. All three are better than the alternative, which might lead to growing isolation of Israel."