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| By israelinsider staff May 31, 2007 |
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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is considering the renewal of peace talks with Syria, said a top Israeli official Thursday.
According to the official, Olmert is using a third party to see where Syria stands on negotiations, and what the country would be willing to offer.
Olmert has said in private meetings that Israel would be willing to give up the Golan Heights through talks with Syria.
"Olmert has said that the price for negotiations with Syria are known and there can be no dispute about the conditions... The main question is what Israel will get in response," stated the official.
Israel wants assurance that Syria would end any and all connections with Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.
According to Miri Eisin, spokeswoman to the prime minister, Olmert " questions the desire of the present Syrian government to arrive at a resolution and not just participate in a process."
According to the Jerusalem Post, Olmert believes that Syrian President Bashar Assad's recent calls to renew peace talks are nothing more than a political tactic to gain international support.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice seemed to agree, indicating that the time was not right for talks.
"My understanding is that it's the view of the Israelis and certainly our view that the Syrians are engaged in behavior right now that is destabilizing to the region," she said. "But it's not a view that there shouldn't be such a track. When it's ready, it should be," said Rice Tuesday to reporters while traveling to Berlin to meet with foreign ministers before next week's G8 summit.
Rice also mentioned the possibility of Israel changing their focus from the Palestinian issue to peace talks with Syria.
"There's no substitute for trying to get to the place where the Palestinians finally have their state, and the Israelis finally have a neighbor who can live in peace and security with them," stated Rice. |
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