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Mr Butros Ghali gave an interview at the german news magazine "Der Spiegel" which is published in german language, only.
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,599240,00.html
The news magazine "Der Spiegel" does have an - reduced - international version (generally, but not of this interview)
- if you want to take a look: http://www.spiegel.de/international/

Because there is no english version of this important text, you can find a crude robot translation ( http://www.google.de/language_tools?hl=de ) below:

03.01.2009
2009-01-03-MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT - "Israel ignores the facts"

The Israeli military strike in Gaza is "incalculable consequences" for the region, warns former UN Secretary-General Butros Butros Ghali. In SPIEGEL ONLINE interview, he speaks about the shortsightedness of Israeli politicians, the role of Egypt - and his dampened hopes for peace.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Has Israel's general attack on the Gaza Strip, the peace process in the Middle East now finally fallen?

Butros Ghali: It is rapidly apparent. But now it is clear that the Israeli attack on Gaza is a disaster. This military operation helps boost the fundamentalists - not only in Palestine but also in all other Arab countries. I am amazed that Israel has not noticed. The Israelis had but their attack on Lebanon in the summer of 2006 must learn the lesson that such action is the position of Integristen strengthens. Then won the influence of Hezbollah and was the strongest political force in Lebanon.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Is the Lebanon rather than a special case?

Butros Ghali: No, the Gaza war, the radical Islamists throughout the Arab world as well as benefit from two years ago, the war against Hezbollah, but also weakens the position of Abu Masin, president of the Palestinian Authority and the moderate parties in the Arab countries and Israel, calling for a dialogue and a genuine call for peace negotiations.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: That sounds very pessimistic. The peace hopes could not be blown away overnight.

Butros Ghali: The judge, I would like today to love God rather than leave.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do not have a silver lining on the horizon?

Butros Ghali: A real improvement of the overall situation will probably only future generations to experience. If I were a rosier picture would, I would not be honest.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why do you see the future as black? They were watching but even in turbulent times than hope. After the Yom Kippur war only a few want to believe in peace, helped to ex-President Anwar al-Sadat at Camp David peace with Israel to conclude that until now holds.

Butros Ghali: This time it's different. The present decision-makers in Israel, the attack on Gaza ordered have not thought about the future. This is a serious mistake.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: What leads you to this assumption?

Butros Ghali: Israel seals occasionally hard facts before the eyes. The Gaza Strip represents just two percent of the total area of geographic Palestine It lies in the nature of things that this area in the context of a genuine peace must be greatly expanded. Another event, the Israelis repeatedly crowd, the 1.3 million Arab Palestinians, in the state of Israel in 1948 in founding their villages and towns remained and are now approximately one fifth of the Israeli population. Around the year 2060 will be the Palestinians over half of the inhabitants of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories represent - and rising.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: The demographic development will be the dream of a state with a Jewish majority to undo. But this view in Israeli unsatisfactory development in the current conflict situation of significance?

Butros Ghali: The growing imbalance between Jews and Arabs in Israeli rule area is of vital importance for the near future of the Jewish state. The Zionist idea of a purely Jewish state is now no longer on this development can not be stopped. But The fuse is burning now. The emigration from Israel is increasing, not only in connection to crisis situations. More and more Israeli fathers have no confidence in the future and want their children to live in constant fear and peace distant spare. But the current Israeli leadership seems solely motivated by electoral tactics to be. The view of the extent of the damage already irresponsible.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Israel wants the rocket attacks by Islamist stayed once and for all.

Butros Ghali: What the military is doing now, directed one hundred damage, with incalculable consequences for the entire region, of course, also for the Israelis.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic hard-liners, but also Arab nationalists, accuse Egypt to the Palestinians to leave in the lurch. Is this accusation true?

Butros Ghali, the Egyptian border is open to all sick and War Disabled Palestinians openly, day and night. Egypt sends relief of any kind in the Gaza Strip.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Hamas calls but that Cairo its border open to all Palestinians.

Butros Ghali: Human aid, food, medicines, medical teams, the supply of fuel, the treatment of wounded and sick in Egyptian hospitals - all that is in full swing. But a completely open, no longer controlled border would inevitably lead to the infiltration of armed terrorists lead. The bloody attacks on tourist hotels in Sharm al-Sheikh and other Sinai holiday strongholds we are still well remembered.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: There are voices that call on Egypt to make peace with Israel aufzukündigen.

Butros Ghali: Such awards are meaningless. Egypt's peace treaty with Israel has served all Arabs. Who except Egypt and Israel can hold credible contact and border openings and a gradual dismantling of the blockade negotiate? A denunciation of peace with Israel would have for all Arabs and Israelis terrible consequences for our children and grandchildren would curse us.

XXXXXX

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT
"Israel ignores the facts"

2nd Part One: "I will be the beginning of a better world no longer experiencing"

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Will the new U.S. president to do something decisive to the Middle East conflict to an end?

Butros Ghali: The world financial and economic crisis takes the Americans in full. 50 percent of the activities of the new administration are so busy. Other world crises in Latin America, Africa and Asia, such as the conflicts in Somalia, East Africa, in eastern Congo, India and Pakistan and in the Caucasus also require American involvement.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: And the Arab-Israeli conflict?

Butros Ghali: Since my tenure as UN Secretary-General in the U.S. is so much remains as it was. The American public is in the Arab world is not particularly interested in, and the pressure of the Jewish lobby is still strong. Nevertheless, it is unfortunately the case that Israel only responds pressure from Washington. Given the current Gaza disaster and the absolute fragmentation of the Palestinian camp in the Islamist Hamas in Gaza and still ready to negotiate Palestinian autonomy government will be in Washington in the next three or four years does not move, which the resumption of peace negotiations possible. The Gaza Done has us all set back by years. At an effective role of the Europeans hope is only wishful thinking.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Is the Arab world is already divided the extent that they are not strong unified position can pull?

Butros Ghali: The Arabs have jointly developed a good peace plan, the recognition of Israel in the 1967 borders in return for the independence of a Palestinian state within these limits provided. Israel has the mistake to ignore this offer.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: What do you expect for the year 2009?

Butros Ghali: For all countries of the Middle East, I see a blanket deterioration ahead. In the Arab world are the religious extremists getting more inflow, especially over half the population of enthusiastic teenagers, while in Israel, the extremists gaining ground who continue to use violence. The extremes to swing high, all-or-nothing politicians are wrong to short-term glory come heroes, but the mass of innocent people will suffer more than previously.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: What attracts Conclusion of former United Nations Secretary-General of the conflicts that you were despatched to solve?

Butros Ghali: I do not see any happiness promised new era for the predictable future. Although the curse of the colonial era and the Cold War half a century ago vanished, and millions of people to a better, fairer social and technological progress using world waited, it became sadly apparent that the old Menschheitsübel hopes clouded again: the growing social disparities , Flare-national and religious ideologies, cultural foreclosure. Pity that I am the dawn of a truly better world probably will not experience more.

The interview was conducted Volkhard Windfuhr

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Created on ... January 5, 2009