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Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran in February. (Archives) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 23:09 12/08/2007 Jerusalem source: Syria is worried by Iran's 'bear hug' By Yoav Stern , Haaretz Correspondent A government official in Jerusalem said Saturday that although Damascus believes Tehran is the 'best thing they have at the moment,' Syria is not yet a satellite of Iran and can still be extricated from an Iranian "bear-hug." The official told Haaretz that Syria believes that Iran provides it with security but is being careful not to become a client state. Syria is said to be particularly worried that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will find it responsible for the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. Jerusalem reportedly believes Syria was behind the murder, and if the ICJ rules as such, Syria's diplomatic isolation will increase. Damascus is also concerned over a possible Israeli attack, and Israel has therefore signaled to the Syrians a number of times that it does not have any belligerent intentions. "The more the American threat against Syria grows, the more calls are heard for maqawamah - violent resistence to Israel," the official said. "Then the moment will come when Syria won't be able to extricate itself from the Iranian alliance, but we still have not reached that point. They are tightening their connections to Iran because that is the best thing they have at the moment." Advertisement Jerusalem views Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Damascus last month as a good example of Syrian concern over Israeli intentions. As opposed to Ahmadinejad, who resoundingly predicted a "hot summer" and spoke in favor of "defeats for the enemies of the region," Assad's tone was restrained and even his body language at their press conference conveyed distance, officials said. The analysis by senior Syrian journalist Ibrahim Hamidi of a joint declaration from Assad and Ahmadinejad made at the end of Syrian-Iranian summit lends credence to this view. Writing in the London-based daily Al-Hayat Hamidi said critics of the Syrian regime argue that Syrian decisions are made in Iran. However, the declaration, he says, shows reciprocity; for example, Iran gave in to the Syrian demand to include in the document Syria's right to restore the Golan Heights to the borders of June 4, 1967. It was the first time Iran acceded to a Syrian demand in a joint document, Hamidi wrote. Western diplomats in Damascus told Al-Hayat that they wondered whether to interpret the statement as some sort of recognition of Israel by Tehran, despite Ahmadinejad's call to destroy "the Zionist entity." Last week, the Iranian ambassador to Syria called for Iranians to invest in Syria in every possible area. One of these is energy, given the frequent electricity outages this summer in Syria, which Prime Minister Mohammed Naji al-Otari says stem from "political reasons," that is, the international isolation of Damascus. In Israel, it is believed that if the United States changes its policy of isolating Syria and calling for the heads of the regime in Damascus, Israel might "change direction." However, while the U.S. is in contact with the Syrian opposition, which includes the Muslim Brotherhood, Israel believes that the alternatives to Assad are not necessarily better. Rumors have been flying recently in Damascus as well as Beirut over the possibility of hostilities breaking out between Israel and Syria, despite Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's statement last week that we can expect a "calm summer, calm autumn and calm winter." Jerusalem feels that Syria is concerned over an Israeli attack, possibly against supply convoys to Hezbollah or on a Palestinian leader like Hamas political head Khaled Meshal. Assad presented a new peace plan last month in a speech to parliament, which included a demand for Israel to commit in writing to a withdrawal to the 1967 borders. An official in Jerusalem said this message is not necessarily "illogical" considering the willingness Israel has shown in the past to withdraw to these borders. Jerusalem has also taken positive note of Assad's statment that the final border will be marked by representatives of the two countries. No one knows exactly where the border ran in 1967, an official said, "so there is room for flexibility here. Bookmark to del.icio.us In Dr. King's shadow When Rice talks of a Palestinian state, she sees the black civil rights struggle in the South. Haredi satire How did Shas react upon seeing a cartoon in Degel HaTorah's official publication?   1.   Jerusalem source: Syria worried by Iran`s bear hug 04:41  |  alex 12/08/07   2.   YOU WAS WRONG DONT YOU? SYRIA TRUSTED RUSSIA. 05:10  |  IRAN=RUSSIAS HAND!!! 12/08/07   3.   There is a Chinese saying that Syria should heed 06:35  |  CK Tan 12/08/07   4.   Its Tel Aviv, Not "Jerusalem has also taken positive note" 07:34  |  JAMOCA LOCA 12/08/07   5.   Syria 08:04  |  lakshmi 12/08/07   6.   another one of haaretz`s spin 09:18  |  JS 12/08/07   7.   Alex 10:00  |  Israeli 12/08/07   8.   wishfull thinking 10:40  |  Indrajaya 12/08/07   9.   Missing piece of the Syrian-Iranian Puzzle 10:45  |  Michael 12/08/07   10.   suria WANTS TO KISS & HUGE BUT NOT TO MAKE LOVE 11:18  |  MOSHE 12/08/07   11.   to Indrajaya on the moon 12:01  |  justice 12/08/07   12.   Hezbollah and Iran:=Fatal combinatoin 12:39  |  Shemo 12/08/07   13.   BOOMing...to Indrajaya # 8.... 13:03  |  Mr. Ami Goldman 12/08/07   14.   #11 Justice 13:04  |  lakshmi 12/08/07   15.   ISRAEL FANTACY ABOUT IRAN, BLA..BLA.. 13:59  |  indrajaya 12/08/07   16.   To Lakshmi 14:02  |  justice 12/08/07   17.   To # 11 14:24  |  Adel 12/08/07   18.   Assad is Not True "Syrian" 14:28  |  dyinglikeflies 12/08/07   19.   syrians are smart... 14:38  |  ravi 12/08/07   20.   Syria is Looking for the Best Deal 14:47  |  Ronnie Wolman 12/08/07   21.   #18 dyinglikeflies 14:52  |  lakshmi 12/08/07   22.   IF HAFEZ AS`AD WAS STILL ALIVE 15:02  |  indrajaya 12/08/07   23.   To Adel 15:11  |  justice 12/08/07   24.   To Ravi No. 19 15:16  |  justice 12/08/07   25.   to indrajaya no.22 15:20  |  justice 12/08/07   26.   #4 COCA COLA AND A COUNTRIES CAPITAL 15:37  |  paul harris 12/08/07   27.   Assad put Syria between a rock and a hard place 15:39  |  Lynn 12/08/07   28.   # 15 Indrajaya 15:42  |  Lynn 12/08/07   29.   # 7 Israeli 15:43  |  Jim 12/08/07   30.   Ravi #19 15:59  |  Lynn 12/08/07   31.   # 12 Shemo 16:03  |  Jim 12/08/07   32.   # 20 Ronnie Wolman 16:21  |  Jim 12/08/07   33.   FAKE LAKSHMI ALERT! #5 16:37  |  Hannah 12/08/07   34.   Dealing With the Devil 16:46  |  SM 12/08/07   35.   Jerusalem is the capital of Israel-fact 17:04  |  Daniel 12/08/07   36.   FAKE LAKSHMI ALERT! #21 17:20  |  Hannah 12/08/07   37.   #34, Daniel 18:01  |  Hannah 12/08/07   38.   To the guy of Sao Paulo 18:04  |  Indrajaya 12/08/07   39.   #26 paul harris 18:39  |  Chris Linthwaite 12/08/07   40.   Bear Hug? 19:16  |  Tony Anthony 12/08/07   41.   Fake Hannah Alert! 19:21  |  dyinglikeflies 12/08/07   42.   24...justice 19:30  |  ravi 12/08/07   43.   dyinglikeflies you are 100% correct 19:31  |  Justis 12/08/07   44.   30... lyn 19:38  |  ravi 12/08/07   45.   not to worry, syria; the `bear` will soon be fleeing the hive 19:52  |  frenz 12/08/07   46.   Jim the weathervane 19:57  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 12/08/07   47.   Syria Needs To Become Closer To Israel 20:02  |  Shepherd 12/08/07   48.   You hug me, I hug you. 20:10  |  ManInTheMiddle 12/08/07   49.   What Iran and Syria have in common 20:23  |  Mark Lincoln 12/08/07   50.   #7 israeli 20:25  |  alex 12/08/07   51.   Same old failed Israeli strategy of relying on Alawites and Syria 20:28  |  Nabil 12/08/07   52.   #31, Jim 20:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/08/07   53.   #49, Mark Lincoln, Iran-Syria alliance 21:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/08/07   54.   #39 CHRIS MAKES STATEMENTS 21:19  |  paul harris 12/08/07   55.   #45, Frenz 21:19  |  Hannah 12/08/07   56.   Ravi of Punjab 21:42  |  Lynn 12/08/07   57.   # 49- Lincoln`s Flawed Analysis Again 21:43  |  Yoram 12/08/07   58.   Please people shhh, don`t tell Mark dumbya #49 22:20  |  FOX 12/08/07   59.   Syria is worried by Iran`s `bear hug` 22:22  |  alan j. winters 12/08/07   60.   With Iran comes their lunatic form of Islam"Martyr nation mindset 22:30  |  PETER SM 12/08/07   61.   FAILED STRATEGIES? #51 22:42  |  FOX 12/08/07   62.   #37, Hannah 22:49  |  Noah 12/08/07   63.   #32. Furthermore, here you go again... 23:18  |  ManInTheMiddle 12/08/07   64.   #48 MAN IN THE MIDDLE ESCAPES ASYLUM 23:36  |  paul harris 12/08/07   65.   #62 Noah 23:38  |  lakshmi 12/08/07   66.   # 7 Israeli.re:Alex.QUITE RIGHT TOO.HOW DARE HE?? 00:04  |  KATH` 13/08/07   67.   #62 Noah 00:25  |  Sarah 13/08/07   68.   Indrajaya -and the guy in Sao Paulo 01:09  |  Reid 13/08/07   69.   #65 Khat and #7 israeli 01:09  |  alex 13/08/07   70.   #65 laksmi 01:17  |  Sarah 13/08/07   71.   Cipora - and? 01:59  |  Mark Lincoln 13/08/07   72.   How the paranoid right hates reality 02:01  |  Mark Lincoln 13/08/07   73.   Does this official have a name? 03:16  |  Galuteus Maximus 13/08/07   74.   418# Mark Lincoln:Iran & Syria have nothing in common . 03:47  |  Akram Zekaria 13/08/07   75.   20# Ronnie Wolman 03:59  |  Akram Zekaria 13/08/07   76.   56...lyn 06:20  |  ravi 13/08/07   77.   #10, MOSHE, like israel to america? 08:19  |  VIPER 13/08/07   78.   #12, SHEMO, why are you the only israeli who sees this? 08:21  |  VIPER 13/08/07   79.   #25, JUSTICE, like the same dream israel has, to be a country 08:27  |  VIPER 13/08/07   80.   Idrajaya if Syria`s economy is booming why IRAN have to by 11:59  |  ILSupporter 13/08/07   81.   2)48#Mark Lincoln: Iran & Syria have nothing in common. 12:50  |  Akram Zekaria 13/08/07   82.   Israels choice for neighbor, Assad or Ahmadinejad, 1 17:22  |  David Turner 13/08/07   83.   Israels choice for neighbor, Assad or Ahmadinejad, 2 17:22  |  David turner 13/08/07   84.   Iron`s bear hug of Syria 17:35  |  observer 13/08/07   85.   Israelis try again and again and again... 18:42  |  mehmet 13/08/07   86.   well you know; maybe israel needs to act alone 10:20  |  eric 14/08/07

Today Online Editorial: Hail Rice for paving the way for dividing the land Responses: 214 Hezbollah leader reports 'progress' in talks on major swap Responses: 158 Polish rightist party slammed for anti-Semitic campaign ad Responses: 99 Likud urges Shas, Lieberman to quit gov't over PM's J'lem hints Responses: 45 Rosner's Domain * Rice "understand risks to announcing a meeting" (WTR) * Guest: How to stop Hamas from spoiling Annapolis? * McCain is the pro-peace process GOP candidate * And also faired better than Giuliani on Iran (The Israel Factor) More Headlines 23:31 Information from Hezbollah did not reveal Ron Arad's fate 23:05 Nasrallah reports progress in swap talks on abducted IDF soldiers 23:56 Rice: Timing of summit depends on Palestinian-Israeli progress 21:19 Israeli and Palestinian tourism ministries meet after long break 22:31 Lieberman: State lacks courage to fix systemic conversion issue 21:22 Gov't eyes tax breaks for immigrants with businesses overseas 20:12 Giuliani, McCain: U.S. should prepare to use force against Iran 21:25 Dutch opposition irate over plan to sell defense system to Israel 19:40 Lebanon charges 10 Palestinians for planning attacks on UN force Previous Editions Select Day 16 oct 15 oct 14 oct 12 oct 11 oct 10 oct 09 oct 08 oct 07 oct 05 oct 04 oct 03 oct

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