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Olmert: Syria is more ripe than ever for peace deal By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Israel News, Bashar Assad  Syrian President Bashar Assad is "more ripe than ever for a peace deal with Israel," Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in a speech Thursday. Meanwhile, Olmert announced he would be meeting Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday to discuss the Syrian talks, among other issues. Speaking at a conference of the Institute for Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv, Olmert said indirect Israel-Syria talks mediated by Turkey can lead to direct negotiations, stressing that a peace treaty with Syria could be achieved. Advertisement Referring to the ongoing indirect talks, Olmert said "the talks with Syria were thorough and important. Removing Syria from the radical axis is one of Israel's top priorities." "Tough sacrifices will be required," Olmert said, "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." Defense Minister Ehud Barak told conference participants that Israel is strong enough to take down the Assad regime in case of war with Syria. Barak said he spoke to an unnamed U.S. president about his belief that Israel could change the Syrian regime, but that "we don't have a [World War II general Douglas] MacArthur to build a new government. We don't have the patience to sit there for fifty years making sure everything's working." However, even if Israel strikes a severe blow, he told the conference, Syria "even when battered and weak has a significant ability to inflict damage, as a result of the weapons it has and its capacity to use Hezbollah." Barak emphasized that in the case of a confrontation with Iran, Syria and Hezbollah would also likely join the fighting, and that it is exceedingly difficult to forecast how another war in the Middle East would play out. 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 Assad dreams of wading in the Kinneret." Olmert spoke Thursday 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 peace talks with Syria will be high on the agenda during the Olmert-Erdogan meeting. Related articles: Olmert: It is possible to negotiate peace deal with Syria TIMELINE: A chronology of Israel-Syria relations since 1947 Assad: Israel never asked Syria to cut ties with Hezbollah, Iran Bookmark to del.icio.us   The perfect storm The Madoff scam is a perfect storm for an outpouring of anti-Semitic web posts. Anne Frank A wax figure of Anne Frank is on display in Berlin's Madame Tussauds.   1.   Barak and Olmert - When Two Heads Are Not Better Than One 05:02  |  Tod Zuckerman 19/12/08   2.   Dont miss the boat 05:26  |  Steve J 19/12/08   3.   The boat circling with Hezballah, Iran, Hamas on board. # 2 05:59  |  Fortuna Benmayor 19/12/08   4.   Fortuna lets start with hezbollah and the last war. 07:14  |  Steve J 19/12/08   5.   If Assad is ripe for peace, he should accept that the Golan ... 08:58  |  Jean Van Daem 19/12/08   6.   Who is paying Olmert to destroy Israel? 09:04  |  David Kelso 19/12/08   7.   Olmert`s movement to peace correct. 10:07  |  Ivar 19/12/08   8.   Such a wonderful example of compare-and-contrast 11:22  |  Johnboy 19/12/08   9.   # 3 fortuna benmayor re: "the boat" 12:54  |  eric 19/12/08   10.   And Olmert is getting ripe himself 14:56  |  Mark Lincoln 19/12/08   11.   Syrian Peace 03:23  |  Mark 20/12/08   12.   israel CAN`T afford to let this opportunity slip by! (2nd try) 07:26  |  eric 20/12/08

Read & React Rice: Renewed Gaza violence will not help Palestinian cause Responses: 270 U.S. report: Hezbollah fought Israel better than any Arab army Responses: 186 Daniel Levy: Gaza likely to turn into Somalia if Israel continues siege Responses: 60 Shady land deal unfolds from West Bank to California strip mall Responses: 49 Immigrant IAF pilot fights to be recognized as a Jew Responses: 36 More Headlines 23:58 'Israel has given up its sovereignty over territory near Gaza' 23:50 Gaza militants fire 15 Qassams, 23 mortar shells into Israel Sat. 20:40 Fayyad: World must act to halt West Bank settlement growth 19:33 ADL: Anti-Semitic posts flood Web in wake of Bernard Madoff affair 22:37 Israel, Arab states at odds over first UN gay rights declaration 20:41 Berlin's Madame Tussauds displays Anne Frank wax figure 17:18 After Mumbai attacks, India bans parties at Israeli backpacker hotspot Goa 20:29 Want to help improve the Haaretz.com homepage? 23:17 Netanyahu's election slogan: 'Likud - because the state needs to be run' 20:43 Palestinian prisoners clash with Israeli guards at West Bank jail 09:15 Executive arrested in N.Y. over Iranian nuclear funding scheme 15:08 Activists' boat arrives in Gaza, in fresh attempt to break Israeli blockade 01:00 Confrontation between Katsav, A. doesn't change police move to indict 15:44 ANALYSIS / Has the Gaza cease-fire really breathed its last? 19:27 ANALYSIS / Mogul Gaydamak is fated to wander the world as a vagabond Previous Editions Select Day 19 dec 18 dec 17 dec 16 dec 15 dec 14 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec 08 dec 07 dec

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