Shimon Peres, Loose Cannon, or Worse?

The position of President of the State of Israel is more honorary and photo-op than anything else.  Even though recent presidents have been former politicians ready to (or forced to) retire from active party politics made into courtly figureheads, the earliest presidents weren't former MK's.  The Israeli President is supposed to transcend party politics and represent the entire nation.

Present President, Shimon Peres behaves as if the position as comparable to being Prime Minister.  He hasn't left his politics and ideology at the doorstep.  He's still running his personal negotiations with the Arabs.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmud Abbas held four secret meetings with Israeli President Shimon Peres in a bid to revive stalled peace talks, a PA official told AFP on Saturday.

The official quoted Abbas as saying at a meeting of his Fatah party on Friday, “I met Shimon Peres four times in Amman and London in an attempt to restart negotiations and the peace process on a correct foundation.

“Shimon Peres assured me that the negotiations between us could lead to results that could be adopted by the Netanyahu government,” the official quoted Abbas as saying, but noted that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thwarted those efforts.

“After the first four meetings, a fifth was scheduled in Amman, but Shimon Peres apologized and said, ‘I’m sorry but the government does not accept that we negotiate and I cannot do anything,’” Abbas said at the Friday gathering, according to the official. (complete article)

Peres's behavior endangers Israeli democracy by going against the law and the spirit of the law.