Public Security Minister: PM serious about negotiations with Syria - Haaretz

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Last update - 19:07 10/07/2007

Public Security Minister: PM serious about negotiations with Syria

By Haaretz Service and News Agencies

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said Tuesday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's call earlier in the day for fresh peace talks was genuine and real, and that he indeed wants to resume talks.

"Bashar Assad apparently has other plans than making peace with Israel," Dichter, a former head of the Shin Bet security service, told Army Radio. "And now we will listen and wait."

Asked about an apparent softening in Olmert's position on Syria, Dichter said Israel had not formed a firm stance but would if the matter became more relevant.

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Dichter was not, however, optimistic that Assad would agree to renew the talks, especially because he is allied with Iran.

In comments to Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television, Olmert urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to begin direct peace negotiations between the two countries, and advised him not to wait for American mediation.

"Bashar al-Assad, you know that I am ready for direct talks with you," Olmert said.

"You [Assad] have been saying that you want the negotiations through the Americans. But they do not want to sit with you. I am ready to sit with you and talk about peace, not war."

Negotiations between Syria and Israel collapsed in 2000 without resolving the fate of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel annexed the Golan in 1981, but the move was unrecognized by the international community.

"I will be happy if I could make peace with Syria. I do not want to wage war against Syria," Olmert said.

Assad has repeatedly expressed interest in resuming talks with Israel through a third party. A Syrian Foreign Ministry official said last week that Damascus was ready for talks without preconditions and said Israel and Syria had solved some 85 percent of the problem in past negotiations.

Syria said last month, that if Israel made concessions in peace negotiations, it would cooperate directly with Washington in helping to curb violence in Iraq and change the nature of its relationship with its ally Iran, an enemy of Israel and the U.S.

The West accuses Syria of backing an insurgency in Iraq, and hosting leaders of Palestinian terror groups on its soil.

Analysts said Syria wants to regain the Golan now more than ever, after it was forced to withdraw its forces from Lebanon two years ago and U.S. led pressure on Damascus for its role in Iraq and Lebanon mounted.

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1.	We all know without US backing, no peace possible	09:53	\|	Greg	10/07/07

2.	....Again......	09:57	\|	R.O	10/07/07

3.	Actions speak louder than words	10:06	\|	Natallie Durson	10/07/07

4.	Reclaiming the Golan	10:10	\|	Phil	10/07/07

5.	Response to Greg #1	10:15	\|	R.O	10/07/07

6.	GOLAN HEIGHTS	10:23	\|	Marty E.	10/07/07

7.	If the Syrian president really wanted to pursue peace, he would	10:26	\|	Avihu	10/07/07

8.	Talks with Syria	10:27	\|	Chaim Gorentstein	10/07/07

9.	PM to Assad: A Lame Statement made by The LAME DUCK FAG P.M.	10:31	\|	Pavel	10/07/07

10.	Peace will open a new horizon	10:39	\|	kosta jamil	10/07/07

11.	Is this some kind of a love letter between 2 lovers	10:40	\|	Tamir Gaza	10/07/07

12.	PM to Assam	10:53	\|	thomas	10/07/07

13.	Peace talks with SYRIA????	10:55	\|	Saimon	10/07/07

14.	OLMERT: EVACUATE SETTLEMENTS, LEAVE GOLAN..... THEN TALK PEACE	11:04	\|	Patriot	10/07/07

15.	HE MISSED SADAT	11:11	\|	indrajaya	10/07/07

16.	The USA is NOT interested in peace now	11:12	\|	isratinian	10/07/07

17.	Loud words and louder actions	11:18	\|	Clicksage	10/07/07

18.	sit with a terrorist?	11:19	\|	tom jones	10/07/07

19.	# 6 GOLAN HEIGHTS MUST RETURNED	11:19	\|	Jad	10/07/07

20.	The art of one-upmanship	11:55	\|	Yonatan	10/07/07

21.	#13 You`re right, but don`t forget Euroarabia!	11:59	\|	Ng	10/07/07

22.	#19 Jad - I don`t live in Los Angeles	12:05	\|	Yonatan	10/07/07

23.	Bashar, have mercy on talkbackers	12:24	\|	Sam	10/07/07

24.	IF OLMERT WOULD READ PSALMS OF KING DAVID HE WOULD KNOW..	12:41	\|	Leslie	10/07/07

25.	Syria	12:53	\|	Marc	10/07/07

26.	President Assad, please do not open talks with Olmert!	12:57	\|	Jonathan S	10/07/07

27.	A political dictate.	13:13	\|	Akram Zekaria	10/07/07

28.	#22 Yonatan	13:14	\|	Jad	10/07/07

29.	Olmert offer is irresponsible , lack lucid judgement	13:31	\|	Joseph E .	10/07/07

30.	Olmert is too weak to make peace	13:36	\|	Adel	10/07/07

31.	King Olmert strikes again	13:45	\|	Kate	10/07/07

32.	It`s the Americans...Stupid	13:48	\|	Moshe	10/07/07

33.	Good idea	14:28	\|	Sensible	10/07/07

34.	Matalie the General	14:30	\|	Twogunz	10/07/07

35.	Now they both want talks	14:35	\|	sh	10/07/07

36.	We will sit and then refuse to listen	14:44	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	10/07/07

37.	opportunity for EU mediation	15:10	\|	Jeff	10/07/07

38.	Return the Golan? Why ?	15:11	\|	SR	10/07/07

39.	Yonatan and Jad	15:14	\|	Butterflies can Sing	10/07/07

40.	Yonatan and Jad	15:15	\|	Butterflies can Sing	10/07/07

41.	# 1 Greg	15:28	\|	Lynn	10/07/07

42.	# 37 Jeff	15:34	\|	Lynn	10/07/07

43.	Greg - the US is not the least intested in peace	15:41	\|	Mark Lincoln	10/07/07

44.	Golan heights	16:01	\|	Dik	10/07/07

45.	#38 Might have something to do with it being "Syrian", SR	16:05	\|	Johnboy	10/07/07

46.	A hollow gesture without the USA onboard.	16:12	\|	Johnboy	10/07/07

47.	sh	16:28	\|	Jasmine Murphy	10/07/07

48.	RON ARAD AND PEACE	16:59	\|	NEIL GOLAN	10/07/07

49.	History of the Golan	17:08	\|	Chick	10/07/07

50.	This is all about the U.S. attacking Iran	17:40	\|	Rachel C.	10/07/07

51.	#14 yes PATRIOT TALK YOUR TALK IS CHEAP	17:41	\|	paul harris	10/07/07

52.	Peace	18:23	\|	Shana	10/07/07

53.	to #50 You don`t even know recent history	18:41	\|	Chick	10/07/07

54.	Good point,Tamir	19:06	\|	Polybios	10/07/07

55.	Patriot - other way around	19:10	\|	Polybios	10/07/07

56.	Dumbya Bush misses his last chance at an achievement	19:24	\|	Tosefta	10/07/07

57.	Polybios, yea but whats the point anyway	19:29	\|	Tamir Palestine	10/07/07

58.	Do Not `Kiss Up` to Syria	19:34	\|	Solon	10/07/07

59.	Tamir - no progress without vision	20:34	\|	Polybios	10/07/07

60.	SYRIA DOES NOT WANT TALKS...	20:42	\|	RYAN	10/07/07

61.	#14 Get a Life	21:15	\|	Marc Hyman	10/07/07

62.	Poker between Israel and Syria	21:50	\|	Larry	10/07/07

63.	Give back the land	22:02	\|	Moshe	10/07/07

64.	# 38 sr	22:17	\|	Axel	10/07/07

65.	Negotiations should start	22:25	\|	Axel	10/07/07

66.	# 58 solon	22:33	\|	Axel	10/07/07

67.	great strategic move! call assads bluff	22:47	\|	Igor D.	10/07/07

68.	Igor D. It is unlikely Assad is bluffing	23:53	\|	Mark Lincoln	10/07/07

69.	Neil Golan	23:55	\|	Mark Lincoln	10/07/07

70.	Merge Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria	00:17	\|	Herbert Kaine	11/07/07

71.	Olmert: get real	03:11	\|	heinz	11/07/07

72.	#70, Herbie	03:14	\|	heinz	11/07/07

73.	42# Mark Lincoln .. please clarify..	04:54	\|	Akram Zekaria	11/07/07

74.	To #50	06:06	\|	anita	11/07/07

75.	# 50 Rachel C	06:49	\|	ballistic	11/07/07

76.	Jasmine Murphy	09:12	\|	sh	11/07/07

77.	Golan Heights	11:13	\|	Bob	11/07/07

78.	SYRIA SHOULD RETURN THE GOLAN TO ISRAEL	23:27	\|	TheLandForPeaceMyth	12/07/07

79.	#4 Phil--fantasy	11:43	\|	Mike	14/09/07

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