Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., July 14, 2008 Tamuz 11, 5768 | | Israel Time: 00:59 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

French President Nicolas Sarkozy (Left) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (AP) The Mediterranean summit / Sarkozy in the role of Bush By Zvi Bar'el Tags: George W. Bush  The "handshake roulette" between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Syrian President Bashar Assad, which has been keeping the Union for the Mediterranean and the Middle East preoccupied for weeks, will stop today. But even if a Syrian handshake does take place with an Israeli lame duck, or cooked goose, it will produce no thrill. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been working on the real thrill for almost two months: bringing Assad back into the international fold and replacing the U.S. president as the intermediary in the peace process. Now that a Lebanese government has been formed, Assad and Sarkozy will be free to discuss the peace process with Israel, the international trial of the suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, and advancing the Israel-Palestinian negotiations. It's a two-way deal: Assad will push the peace process with Israel and Sarkozy promises to make a state visit to Damascus in September or October. Assad will see to the functioning of the Lebanese government and open an embassy in Lebanon, and Sarkozy will send a delegation of high-level business people and legislators to Syria in August. A deal to sell Airbus planes to Syria is also in the offing. American sanctions on Syria are clearly breaking down. Advertisement Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a last-minute decision to come to the conference, despite concerns that the Union for the Mediterranean will leave his country at sea, far from the warm shores of the EU. Turkey, also an intermediary in the Syrian-Israeli process, will push in two directions at the conference: toward direct talks, and bringing in Washington as a partner. A Turkish source told Haaretz Saturday that he did not discount the presence of an American representative at the coming round of talks. "The Americans must accept that we are part of the solution not only in Lebanon but also in Iraq and Palestine," Assad told Le Monde diplomatique. The Americans apparently realize that if they don't hurry, Sarkozy will take the whole pot. According to Arab press reports, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the conference's co-chairman, has invited Assad to dinner. Yes, this inter-Arab conflict must also be solved if Egypt wants to advance negotiations between Israel and Hamas. So must the bad blood between Saudi Arabia and Syria, after the Hariri assassination in 2005 and Assad's calling the Saudis "half men" for not sufficiently supporting Hezbollah in the Lebanon war. And Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah are not on speaking terms. If feathers can be smoothed over dinner, Assad can receive Arab approval and Sarkozy can chalk up another success in the face of American feebleness. Related articles: Syria says will send envoy to France in sign of renewed ties Sarkozy's visit / The real fruit is economic Sarkozy to Knesset: A nuclear Iran is intolerable Bookmark to del.icio.us   History undersea Israeli lifeguard stumbles upon ancient relic during morning swim. Elections, Hebrew style U.S. presidential hopefuls use Hebrew to woo the Jewish community.   1.   EU-Meditranean Summit will not dance by Zvi Bar`el flute 07:07  |  Joseph.E 13/07/08   2.   For Israel Holding the Golan is more important than... 07:14  |  Jean Van Daem 13/07/08   3.   Arab cooperation 09:06  |  Gregor 13/07/08   4.   Juicy spy stories 09:06  |  allang 13/07/08   5.   Is this a joke? 11:27  |  Raymond Deane 13/07/08   6.   #5. Raymond Deane. Its an Irish joke, right.! 14:59  |  Stephen. 13/07/08   7.   what about? 15:32  |  jhon 13/07/08   8.   PEACE BETWEEN DESPOTS NOT PEOPLE 16:36  |  Raad 13/07/08

Read & React Tehran slams McCain for saying cigarettes could be used to kill Iranians Responses: 107 Report: U.S. official says Israel has 'amber light' for Iran strike Responses: 192 Yossi Verter: However we look at 'Olmert Tours' affair, woe to us Responses: 52 Muslim charities targeted by Israel do more than fund terror Responses: 57 Zvi Bar'el: France is a friend of the Arabs because U.S. is a friend of Israel Responses: 32 More Headlines 00:28 Syrian officials: Assad won't give up on preconditions for talks 00:12 Obama: I used 'poor phrasing' in undivided Jerusalem remark 23:14 Ron Arad's family gets previously unseen photos of missing IAF navigator 22:48 Attorney General: It is not my job to oust prime ministers 23:32 PM aide: Israel has no intention of giving Hezbollah Shaba 21:36 Jewish leaders in Germany slam Holocaust omission from citizenship test 21:06 Olmert vows to free Palestinian prisoners regardless of swap deals 22:27 IDF colonel seriously injured in parachuting accident 20:21 Israeli lifeguard stumbles upon ancient relic during morning swim 15:11 Settler arrested in failed rocket attack on Palestinian town 22:17 Gaza militants fire 2 mortar shells at Israel in further truce violation Previous Editions Select Day 13 jul 11 jul 10 jul 09 jul 08 jul 07 jul 06 jul 04 jul 03 jul 02 jul 01 jul 30 jun

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