Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., August 11, 2007 Av 27, 5767 | | Israel Time: 14:59 (EST+7)
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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert touring Israel's northern border last month on the one-year anniversary of the start of the Second Lebanon War. (AP)
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Israel sends conciliatory messages to Damascus
By Barak Ravid and Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondsent

Israel has sent several messages to Damascus in recent weeks reiterating that it has no desire to attack Syria, in an effort to keep Syria from misreading Israel's intentions and therefore deciding to launch a war.

The messages have been sent via various foreign channels, a senior government source said. In addition, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has made public statements to this effect.

But while doing its best to reassure Syria, the government also has been preparing intensively for the possibility that war might nevertheless break out: Wednesday, the ministerial committee on the northern front held its sixth meeting in the past two months.

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As yet, there are no signs of progress that would enable a resumption of Israeli-Syrian negotiations. Nevertheless, a senior European diplomat said, "European officials who have given Olmert messages from Damascus regarding its desire to resume negotiations have received the impression that he is keeping an open mind."

"The situation on the northern border is fragile and sensitive, but the European Union believes there is no danger of war, since neither side wants to start a conflict," the diplomat added. Nevertheless, he said, "in the present atmosphere, it is important that there not be confusing messages."

The ministerial committee, which includes Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and ministers Eli Yishai, Avi Dichter, Shaul Mofaz, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Rafi Eitan and Avigdor Lieberman, is preparing for a possible conflict with either Syria or Hezbollah.

It has been discussing issues including intelligence reports on the deployment of the Syrian army and on Hezbollah's efforts to rebuild following last summer's war in Lebanon; intelligence reports on Syria's network of rockets and surface-to-surface missiles, which threaten Israel's home front; and the home front's preparations for a missile attack, including installing additional warning systems, renovating bomb shelters and assessing the ability of the nation's infrastructure to withstand a rocket attack.

The Prime Minister's Office stressed Wednesday that these meetings are being held solely to prepare for any eventuality; they do not indicate any Israeli intention of attacking Syria or any Syrian intention of attacking Israel. A senior government source explained that the Second Lebanon War revealed major gaps in Israel's home front defenses, "and that's the major issue we're trying to solve now."

Intelligence reports indicate that the Syrian army has embarked on its largest purchasing spree in years, and that army units have stepped up their activities and improved their preparedness, but that no units have shifted positions. "The Syrians also are doing their best to lower their profile, in order not to scare Israel," the government source said. "They are still convinced that we're the ones who will attack them."

The intelligence agencies believe that the chances of a limited Syrian incursion aimed at capturing a small part of the Golan Heights in order to force Israel into talks has decreased. The more likely scenario, they say, is terror attacks on the Golan, carried out by cells set up by Syria for this purpose; in such a scenario, Israel's response could potentially lead to an unwanted escalation, they say. Thus far, however, there is no evidence that any such terrorist cells exist.

Olmert also sent reassuring messages to Israelis Wednesday, telling activists from his Kadima Party that the situation in the north "is better than it has been for decades," and "I believe we will have a quiet summer, a quiet fall and a quiet winter."

"There has never been quiet like that of the past year," he told the activists, who had gathered in his home in Jerusalem. "The commanders of the international forces in southern Lebanon also say this."
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  1.   Quiet before the Storm? 04:05  |  Henry 09/08/07
  2.   Syria attacking is as likely as Mexico would attack USA 04:37  |  Petteri 09/08/07
  3.   War by proxy terrorism is still war 04:55  |  bernard ross 09/08/07
  4.   # 2 Petteri 05:51  |  Lynn 09/08/07
  5.   PETTERI.you are right.It would be Syria,Iran,Hezballa and Hamas 05:54  |  PETERSM 09/08/07
  6.   Israel send letter to Syria 06:18  |  Monique 09/08/07
  7.   live fire exercises outside my window 07:01  |  Moshe 09/08/07
  8.   Any terror attack from Syria is an act of war 07:26  |  RA 09/08/07
  9.   Petteri Finland won against Russia RIGHT ??? 07:31  |  M. Segal 09/08/07
  10.   peterri, Finland , are you a country?? 07:47  |  ldychter 09/08/07
  11.   The real reason Syria is not planning attack 07:47  |  Troof 09/08/07
  12.   Petteri, what seems so logical in peaceful Finland is not in ME 07:49  |  Genuine Tosefta 09/08/07
  13.   SHE SHOULD BE SCARED 08:35  |  indrajaya 09/08/07
  14.   SHE SHOULD BE SCARED 08:35  |  indrajaya 09/08/07
  15.   Israel wants no war with Syria 08:58  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 09/08/07
  16.   How many times has Israel attcked Syria? 09:32  |  Petteri 09/08/07
  17.   WAR IS NOT THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR BOTH COUNTRY 09:46  |  Dr. Julian Darwish 09/08/07
  18.   Petteri Nuclear Weapons 09:54  |  Samir Salameh 09/08/07
  19.   SILLY INDRAJAYA`S MYTHS & MOUTHINGS... 09:59  |  Aaron 09/08/07
  20.   Yeh,quiet summer... 10:24  |  Infidel Too 09/08/07
  21.   petten at#12 10:44  |  scanadu 09/08/07
  22.   PETTERI My history book says Syria attacked Israe in 1972 11:01  |  PETERS SM 09/08/07
  23.   Pancasila 11:27  |  Indry 09/08/07
  24.   # 23, INDRY 11:34  |  indrajaya 09/08/07
  25.   Hezbollah is much weaker! 12:09  |  Shemo. 09/08/07
  26.   to Aron 12:13  |  Indrajaya 09/08/07
  27.   to Aaron 12:20  |  Indrajaya 09/08/07
  28.   about East Timorese prisons 12:35  |  Hannah 09/08/07
  29.   # 26, 27, FAKE INDRAJAYA ALERT 12:39  |  indrajaya 09/08/07
  30.   # 28, HANNAH 12:42  |  indrajaya 09/08/07
  31.   #22 PETER SM, and what Syria did in 1972 12:46  |  Johnboy 09/08/07
  32.   Location,Location,Location:Lets Get Syriassss 12:58  |  Ronnie Wolman 09/08/07
  33.   jb 13:26  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 09/08/07
  34.   Shemo salaam 13:32  |  Hannah 09/08/07
  35.   Location,Location,Location: Lets Get Syriasss 13:32  |  Ronnie Wolman 09/08/07
  36.   JOHNBOY Syria was stopped.They could have had it back for peace. 13:52  |  PETERSM 09/08/07
  37.   ISRAEL TO ODRE 1 MILLION SETS OF CONTACT LENS FROM ASSAD 13:55  |  paul harris 09/08/07
  38.   Gaza faces economic disaster 14:17  |  Hannah the star 09/08/07
  39.   Golan Heights 14:23  |  abram epstein 09/08/07
  40.   PEACE peace and nothing but peace! 14:35  |  Shatour 09/08/07
  41.   to abram epstein 14:42  |  Motawa 09/08/07
  42.   Olmert agrees to be a vassal to Assad 14:45  |  Herbert Kaine 09/08/07
  43.   John Boy - Why Syria stopped in October 1973 14:57  |  Chaim Ben-Zimra 09/08/07
  44.   JOHNBOY.Syria attacked a tiny Israeli force with ovewhelming No`s 15:31  |  PETER SM 09/08/07
  45.   Message to Assad should be very simple: This time we will go all 16:18  |  Reuven 09/08/07
  46.   Let`s hope the Syrians are dumb enough 16:47  |  Fred Michaelsberg 09/08/07
  47.   To Abram Epstein re Annexation/Kuneitra 17:33  |  Justin Kaye 09/08/07
  48.   SYRIA 18:07  |  Nate 09/08/07
  49.   lies from Israel 19:20  |  mehmet 09/08/07
  50.   peterri, Finland , are you a country?? 20:24  |  Eric 09/08/07
  51.   SHE SHOULD BE SCARED 20:29  |  Eric BMF 09/08/07
  52.   My foot 21:03  |  Michael N 09/08/07
  53.   Mehmet #49 22:59  |  David Israel 09/08/07
  54.   Timing is everything 23:10  |  Natallie Durson 09/08/07
  55.   Mehmet occuppier of Constantinople: Recall ethnic cleansing? 01:12  |  Genuine Tosefta 10/08/07
  56.   Dear Assad, i still love you, the golan is yours, love Olmert 01:31  |  pace306 10/08/07
  57.   attacking syria 01:34  |  raul benitez 10/08/07
  58.   Nate and his knowledge of Syrian Jews 02:39  |  Angela 10/08/07
  59.   MEHMET please send your sources for your profound statement 02:47  |  PETER SM 10/08/07
  60.   Enclosuers with Israel messages to Damascus. 02:58  |  Akram Zekaria 10/08/07
  61.   Conciliatory Messages 03:39  |  Mark Lincoln 10/08/07
  62.   I`m so sorry-so sorry 03:52  |  Mark 10/08/07
  63.   B`vakasha, tislach li 03:56  |  Mark 10/08/07
  64.   #31 04:09  |  Moshe 10/08/07
  65.   #25 Shemo 04:13  |  Ben 10/08/07
  66.   Fake Tosefta Alert #55 05:19  |  Tosefta 10/08/07
  67.   Israelis and American Jews, listen up 05:32  |  Pete 10/08/07
  68.   ALL TALK, NO ACTION 05:48  |  RYAN 10/08/07
  69.   No more buzzing the palace ha! 06:24  |  Ahmad 10/08/07
  70.   #67 PETE AND TROUBLE WITH LEARNING 06:53  |  paul harris 10/08/07
  71.   #54 NATALIE STIL TRYING TO SECOND GUESS 07:12  |  paul harris 10/08/07
  72.   #36, #44 A furious PETER SM assaults me with propaganda 07:45  |  Johnboy 10/08/07
  73.   #43 Chaim poses a question to me 07:55  |  Johnboy 10/08/07
  74.   War and rumours of war.. 09:05  |  Prankster 10/08/07
  75.   jb 09:06  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 10/08/07
  76.   #13 Indra 09:07  |  Willy 10/08/07
  77.   #75 Margie attempts to turn the tables on me. 09:54  |  Johnboy 10/08/07
  78.   Israel supporting armchair generals are nuts 10:01  |  Petteri 10/08/07
  79.   FALSE HANNAH ALERT! #28, 34 10:07  |  Hannah 10/08/07
  80.   jb 10:23  |  Margie in Tel Aviv