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Olmert: It is possible to negotiate peace deal with Syria
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Tags: Golan, Syria, Israel news 

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday in a speech that it was possible to negotiate a peace deal between Israel and Syria.

Speaking at a conference of the Institute for Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv, Olmert said that the indirect Israel-Syria talks mediated by Turkey can lead to direct negotiations, stressing that a peace treaty with Syria can be achieved.

Referring to ongoing indirect peace talks, mediated by Turkey, Olmert continued, saying "the talks with Syria were thorough and important. Removing Syria from the radical axis is one of Israel's top priorities."
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"Tough sacrifices will be required," Olmert continued, "but the prevention of lost lives is worth it. Syria is not interested in belonging to the axis of evil, and wants to forge ties with the U.S."

Olmert said a peace treaty would break the ties between Syria and Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, but he could not guarantee success. He said, "How will we know if we don't try? How can we try if we are not prepared to take any risks?"

"A peace deal with Syria will alter the balance of power between moderates and extremists in the Middle East?A deal with Syria will minimize the threat of war from the north and will eliminate the assistance it gives to terror organizations," Olmert went on to say.

Right-wing MKs were quick to respond to Olmert's address, with Likud MK Yuval Steinitz saying "the Golan is essential to Israel's security, welfare and future, and cannot be used as currency by the Olmert-Livni government."

MK Zevulun Orlev (Habayit Hayehudi) also criticized Olmert's remarks, saying that the prime minister "dreams that the Israeli public will forget the corruption scandals that brought about the end of his reign, while [Syrian President Bashar] Assad dreams of wading in the Kinneret."

Meanwhile Thursday, Olmert announced that he would be meeting Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday to discuss Israel's indirect peace talks with Syria and other issues.

Turkey has been mediating the indirect talks but they were suspended earlier this year after Olmert announced his resignation over a corruption scandal.

Olmert remains Israel's caretaker premier until a new government is formed after a February election.

"Prime Minister Olmert spoke yesterday to the Turkish prime minister and they agreed to meet on Monday in Ankara," said Mark Regev, Olmert's spokesman. "The meeting will deal with bilateral issues as well as regional issues, including the political processes in the region."

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said indirect peace talks with Syria will be high on the agenda during the Olmert-Erdogan meeting.

"It's possible that there will be another round but it has not been decided," the official said of the Israeli-Syrian track.

On Tuesday, it emerged that sources familiar with the peace talks said this week that Syria has drafted a document defining potential boundaries for the Golan Heights and is waiting for an Israeli reply through Turkish mediators.

Israel and Syria held almost 10 years of direct talks under U.S. supervision which collapsed in 2000 over the scope of a proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

Israel captured the plateau in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it more than a decade later - a move rejected by the United Nations.

Related articles:
  • Livni: Syria peace must involve more than just eating hummus in Damascus
  • Assad: Israel never asked Syria to cut ties with Hezbollah, Iran
  • TIMELINE: A chronology of Israel-Syria relations since 1947
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      1.   Syria and the Golan ? We should remember the facts! 17:21  |  Jean Van Daem 18/12/08
      2.   Visiting Islamist states 18:13  |  Brod 18/12/08
      3.   H A R S H I S R A E L ? s R E A L I T Y 19:21  |  H.H.M. 18/12/08
      4.   Olmert`s Right...Now Do It 19:28  |  MB 18/12/08
      5.   syria cannot be dealt with as long as iran controls it 19:48  |  Arie 18/12/08
      6.   If Syria is not interested to belong to the axis of evil 19:55  |  Jew- and Bookburner 18/12/08
      7.   Then why didn`t he? 20:06  |  Mark Lincoln 18/12/08
      8.   why is olmert still running all over the place? 20:08  |  chelly 18/12/08
      9.   Olmert is not interested in protecting Israel 20:29  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 18/12/08
      10.   Olmert would have given up Tel Aviv to make peace with Hitler 21:56  |  Eric Wood 18/12/08
      11.   No Syrian Hummus for You 23:11  |  Baz Mann 18/12/08
      12.   Ashkenazic Fantasies 23:14  |  Avi Yerushalmi 18/12/08
      13.   Olmert In La-La Land 00:13  |  gary 19/12/08
      14.   #10 I could not aggree more but... 02:02  |  Michael 19/12/08
      15.   Now Olmert makes himself the spokesman for what Syria wants! 03:15  |  McQueen 19/12/08
      16.   The Golan Is Syrian 04:17  |  Yuhannon 19/12/08
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