Last update - 00:00 27/11/2007
Peres: Israel maintains secret contacts with Syria all the time
By Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service
Israel conducts secret contacts with Syria all the time, but serious negotiations cannot begin until Syria stops supporting terror and removes itself from involvement in Lebanon, said President Shimon Peres on Tuesday while touring the Negev.
Referring to Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal's declaration that he would not shake hands with Israeli officials during the Annapolis peace conference being held Tuesday, Peres said "it doesn't matter if they shake hands or not, next time they will."
The conference was to be attended by representatives from some 40 countries in efforts to relaunch dormant peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
"The most interesting thing about the [Annapolis] conference is the large number of Arab nations surrounding one table? The participation of many other countries is also very important."
Peres explained that one of the reasons that compelled some of these nations to attend the peace conference is the Iranian threat, "with its extreme policies, threats and scare tactics, many people are beginning to understand that it is not Israel who is dangerous, it is Iran."
When asked about the failures of previous peace summits, the president responded that he won't address the failures, because there have also been many successes, like the peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt. "The Middle East looks different today than it did 30 years ago," he said.
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