more Davos: Peres pisses ‘em off
January 26, 2007, 11:24 am Peres’s Message To Gulf Leaders Misfires Badly
It should have been one of those Davos moments, when divisions heal,
common ground is found, and heads nods sagely in agreement over a
grand vision. It didn’t quite work out like that.
Shimon Peres, Israel’s former prime minister, arrived unexpectedly
and late for a tight-knit lunch session entitled “The Gulf States As
An Emerging Hub.” The diners? Gulf leaders, including the central
bank governor of Bahrain, the head of Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Economic
Council and the chief executive of Dubai International Capital,
Sameer Al-Ansari. Given the task of handling the table conversations
was Kenneth Costa, vice-chairman of UBS’s investment bank. The talks
at the tables centered on capital flows in the region and so forth.
Before Mr. Costa asked the tables to summarize their views, he
invited Peres to speak for a couple of minutes, at the Israeli’s
request.
It started in traditional Davos style - Gulf nations are “pioneers of
their own wealth”, a region of entrepreneurs, etc. But then it
drifted into the Israel-Palestine conflict, before alighting upon
Iran: “I believe you wouldn’t like to see Iran have a bomb …
because they are fanatics,” Mr. Peres then added that one consequence
of Iran having a nuclear bomb is “a war for the rest of the world.”
And with that, he and his minders up and left the room. Cue pause.
Then uproar.
Kamel Lazaar, president and CEO of Geneva-based Saudi bank Swicorp
Investment Bank, captured the fury of almost everyone in the room:
“It isn’t appropriate behavior to give his party-political broadcast
and leave. It’s not acceptable, and it’s a shame,” Mr. Lazaar said.
Others were apoplectic, declaring a formal complaint will be lodged
with the World Economic Forum’s organizers. A chastened Mr. Costa
said he’d reflect the sentiments back to the forum. And Mr. Peres?
Blissfully unaware of the tiny diplomatic step back on the rocky path
to peace in the Middle East. - Adam Smallman