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March 23, 2001/Adar 28, 5761, Vol. 53, No.25
Retired general hopeful about peace
BARRY COHEN
Community Editor
Gen. Fredy Zach fought for Israel's existence in the Six Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973, governed the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for 15 years starting in 1977, and in 1992 helped begin negotiations for a lasting peace.
Now retired from military service and no longer a deputy negotiator, Zach spoke to an Israel Bonds leadership group here March 11. Approximately 30 people attended the invitation-only event.
Even though the current unrest between the Palestinians and Israelis has unraveled his efforts to achieve a permanent peace, Zach remains optimistic.
"I really believe there is no other way except sitting down and negotiating. This is going to happen. It may take a month, or two months, a year or two years, but it's going to happen," said Zach.
Zach is now a sales promoter for ECI-Telecom, the largest telecommunications company in Israel, and also general manager of Yarden Investments and Development, which develops hi-tech, industrial and real estate economic initiatives in the Golan Heights.
He said to achieve business and economic security, the Palestinians will be forced to negotiate. For this to occur, however, moderate voices will have to be heard.
"The art of negotiation is compromising," said Zach. "If you are not willing to compromise, you cannot negotiate."
He said since renewing the violence in September, the Palestinians have hardened their views, particularly over the control of Jerusalem and the return of refugees. The Palestinian businessmen that he works with have adopted a more moderate stance because they have more to lose, Zach added.
Also in the Palestinians' economic interest is Israel's own peace and stability, Zach said. If Israel is economically secure, so too are the Palestinians.
One of ways to ensure this security is by investing in infrastructure projects in Israel, principally through Israel Bonds, Zach said. Current projects include desalinizing seawater, expanding ports in Ashdod and Haifa, and building Highway 6, a new north-south route.
"If the Jewish people (in the Diaspora) will buy more bonds, it is showing solidarity with the state of Israel," said Zach.
In 2000, Phoenicians purchased $2 million in bonds, twice what they bought in 1999, said Tina Sheinbein, Israel Bonds executive director here.
Zach was born in Basra, Iraq, in 1946, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1951. He is married, has four children, one grandchild, and lives in Havier, a small town near Ra'anana and Tel Aviv. He said the highlight of his career was participating in peace negotiations with the Palestinians, beginning in 1992 with the Oslo Accords.
"We were tired of wars, victims and bloodshed. We wanted to live a normal life like most of the world," he said. At that time, the Israeli negotiating team had great dreams for the future, he added.
But current reports that Israeli morale has hit a low point are exaggerated, he said. "People are worried. People would like a better time. But at the same time, there is no demoralization among the people and even in the army."
Morale was much lower after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a conflict that was "a real risk for our existence," he said.
The current violence is forcing the Israelis to come together, he said. "When there is a bomb somewhere, it does not make any difference if you are secular or religious, Russian or Ethiopian."
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