Israeli ambassador talks peace, policy in Center City hotel

Eliahu Ben-Elissar promosed 'no peace without security' and a unified Jerusalem in his talk at the Bellevue Wedesday. In his first public address to the American Jewish community, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Eliahu Ben-Elissar told roughly 900 Philadelphians how Israel plans to achieve peace with its neighbors in the Middle East. "Our policy is do whatever we can in order to deter the Arab side from waging war," he said in a speech Wednesday night in the Bellevue Hotel's main ballroom. Ben-Elissar stressed that Israel will not forfeit safety for the sake of a temporary truce. "There will be no peace without security," he said. "We know our neighbors." Ben-Elissar then addressed Israel's controversial withdrawal from Hebron, one of four holy cities in Israel for Jews. "It is not going to be easy," he said, reminding the audience of his stance against the withdrawal from "the cradle of Jewish civilization." The ambassador also discussed the status of Jerusalem as a unified city. "Jerusalem will never be divided again. [The city] will remain the capital of Israel," he said. "We will have to find some kind of agreement which the Palestinians can accept." Ben-Elissar also condemned Palestinian requests for the relocation of Jewish settlements currently on the West Bank. "We will not move our settlements," he said. "We will not become the one? country in the world where Jews are not permitted to live where they would like." However, the ambassador did indicate that Israel is ready to settle its border disputes with Syria and Lebanon. He specifically addressed Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's alleged agreement with former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to restore Israeli-Syrian boundaries to the Demarcation Line of 1967. "Nothing has been agreed," Ben-Elissar declared adamantly, accusing Arafat of lying to the media and the people of Israel. "The will [to negotiate borders] is there on our side," he said. "I hope that we'll be able to meet the same will on the other side." Ben-Elissar was appointed this year after Benjamin Netanyahu upset former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in a May election. In his talk, he stressed that Jewish unity is important to Israel's future. "We will need [the community's] support even more in days to come," he said, clasping his hands together in a symbolic gesture. After his address, the ambassador answered previously-selected questions from event sponsors. When asked about Israel's 3.2 percent decline in economic growth, Ben-Elissar replied that the government expected such a decrease and that he was not worried. "I remember a country which did not have enough potatoes to eat," he said. "Today's budget is? over 60 billion U.S. dollars." Ben-Elissar also discussed how next week's presidential election could affect future Israeli relations with the United States. "When it comes to the bottom line, we are like one country," he said. "Values are shared; interests are being shared. We keep finding so much understanding. All I can hope is that this remains as it is." Honorary German Consul General Charles Taylor said Ben-Elissar gave "a very reasoned petition of the current thinking in government." Philadelphia City Councilman Frank Rizzo, Jr. said he enjoyed the ambassador's address. "Philadelphia has always been the sister city of Jerusalem," Rizzo said. The event was sponsored by several organizations, including the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish Federation and the consulate of Israel, according to Joyce Kutler, JCRC spokesperson.