Arab League to meet on summit stance as Syria mulls participation - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Fri., November 16, 2007 Kislev 6, 5768

Israel Time: 02:15 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Easy Start

Magazine

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Week's End

Books



		President Shimon Peres shaking hands with Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan before a dinner at the Presidential Palace in Ankara on November 12. (Reuters)

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 17:04 15/11/2007

Arab League to meet on summit stance as Syria mulls participation

By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press

tags: Syria, negotiations

DAMASCUS - Arab countries will adopt a unified stand on the U.S.-sponsored peace conference scheduled for later this year at an Arab foreign ministers' meeting to be held in Cairo, Egypt next week, Arab League chief Amr Moussa said Thursday.

Moussa's comments followed a meeting he held in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who reiterated that any peace initiative that does not include talks on the occupied Golan Heights "would not be serious" and could not achieve a just peace in the region.

Syria has repeatedly said it would attend the conference, due before the end of the year in Annapolis, Maryland, only if discussions included the return of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed.

	Advertisement

Although U.S. officials have said the focus of the conference will be the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in recent days that he hoped Syria would take part.

Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper said Thursday that Syria has agreed to attend the peace conference if it is officially invited, but did not give an attribution for its report.

It also said, quoting an unnamed Palestinian official, that Syria has received assurances from Russia and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that it will receive an invitation directly to attend the conference.

Moussa told reporters after the meeting with Assad that Arab states would come up with a united stand on the conference at a meeting of Arab foreign ministers to be held in Cairo Nov. 22-23.

"What we want is a conference that deals with the Arab-Israeli conflict and starts serious negotiations under international supervision," he said.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas would attend the Cairo meeting and would brief the ministers on all issues relating to the conference, added Moussa.

The league secretary general, who arrived in Damascus late Wednesday, also held separate talks with Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem. He was also to meet with exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, before heading back to Cairo.

Meanwhile, Turkish leaders have begun recently to increase pressure on Israel to renew its negotiations with Syria, telling Jerusalem that its conflict with its northern neighbor will be easier to resolve than the ongoing process with the Palestinians.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told Olmert during their meeting in London a few weeks ago that from a "cost-value" perspective, the Syrian track promises more than the Palestinians. A similar message was raised during talks held in recent days between President Shimon Peres and Turkish leaders in Ankara.

Erdogan attributed great significance to negotiations with the Palestinians as well as the upcoming regional summit in Annapolis, as part of the process of bolstering Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and continuing the dialogue between the two sides.

Still, the Turkish leader said, a deal between Israel and the Palestinians will be difficult to achieve because of the complicated nature of the matter, which based on considerations other than territory. However, Erdogan said, the Syrian track is based primarily on the issue of borders and is therefore easier to resolve.

Erdogan told Olmert during their talks they he did not understand why Israel continues its vested efforts in finding a solution to the conflict with the Palestinians while refusing to open negotiations with Syria.

The Turkish prime minister told Olmert and Peres that Syrian President Bashar Assad has told him during their regular meetings that he is willing to reopen talks with Israel. Erdogan added that a positive response from Israel could significantly change the direction of the conflict between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has said that at this point, it is most important for Israel to focus its efforts on resolving the Palestinian issue.

Related articles:

Syria reiterates demand to put Golan on Annapolis summit agenda

Syrian envoy to U.S. dismisses Annapolis summit as 'waste'

Turkey working to jumpstart peace talks between Israel, Syria

Turkish President to Peres: Syria is interested in peace with Israel

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	War speculations
	An aide to Sharon says the ex-PM wouldn't have sent ground troops to Lebanon.


	Nuclear inspection
	An IAEA report concludes Iran is generally truthful but still defying UN demands.




1.	Patience and finesse will return the Golan to Syria	15:22	\|	Natallie Durson	15/11/07

2.	"Syrians in Bananaoplis"!.	16:06	\|	Stephen.	15/11/07

3.	Never Give up the Golan until...	17:25	\|	Robert	15/11/07

4.	The Jews just need to ride out the Bush presidency	17:34	\|	And its over	15/11/07

5.	If the officials at the Arab League are really interested in	17:56	\|	G. Yaroni	15/11/07

6.	#1 Haaretz is this a syrian website?	18:27	\|	Jasmine Murphy	15/11/07

7.	Arab Legue to meet	19:25	\|	TonyL	15/11/07

8.	# 5...here`s what it is	19:54	\|	Faris	15/11/07

9.	G. Yaroni: What right?	19:59	\|	David James Vickery	15/11/07

10.	Natallie #1	20:30	\|	BRL	15/11/07

11.	Syrian attendance	20:40	\|	marcel	15/11/07

12.	David J. V.; how long will it take?	21:45	\|	Jewboy	15/11/07

13.	Jasmine, I would not doubt it if...	21:48	\|	Jewboy	15/11/07

14.	#7, TonyL	21:56	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	15/11/07

15.	If the Syrian request can be met the entire proccess will benefit	23:15	\|	Ivar	15/11/07

16.	#9v ickery your comments are not wanted but that does not stop yo	23:35	\|	victor hardman	15/11/07

17.	Syria is Iran`s main ally and it supports Hezbollah and Hamas	23:53	\|	R.T.	15/11/07

18.	Israel has two choices No Land for No Peace and Land for No Peace	01:12	\|	Chick	16/11/07

19.	LET ALL RADICALS GET INTO PICTURE,DESTROY ALL PROSPECTS OF ACCORD	01:44	\|	VOICE of MOSHIACH)))	16/11/07

Today Online


	Minister Lieberman: PA must recognize Israel as Jewish state
	Responses: 161


	Tom Segev: Germany should pay as long as even one Holocaust survivor still lives
	Responses: 92


	Aluf Benn: U.S. wants Israel to get used to the Iranian bomb
	Responses: 151


	Haaretz.com TV: Hebron settlers taped abusing Palestinians
	Responses: 78


	Aide: Sharon wouldn't have sent ground troops into Lebanon
	Responses: 68

Rosner's Domain

Between Tehran and Des Moines

Americans expect to stay in Iraq (WTR)

Poll: Should Israel "get used" to the Iranian bomb?

Rosner's Guest: A revolution in the Orthodox synagogue

More Headlines
00:10 IAEA: Iran was cooperative with UN nuclear probe, but still defying demands


21:52 Weisglass to Winograd: Sharon wouldn't have sent ground troops to Lebanon


22:14 Palestinian billionaire launches movement to rival Fatah, Hamas


23:50 Hamas to release Fatah supporters detained after Gaza rally


00:26 U.S. court rules against Orthodox Jew in privacy case


22:00 Ukraine President defends posthumous honor to alleged head of pogrom


23:31 Beinisch: Friedmann`s claim that High Court impedes Knesset baseless


20:43 Four East J'lem Arabs charged with killing alleged collaborator


17:04 Arab League to meet on summit stance as Syria mulls participation


17:48 Second century Roman road, bath unearthed near Jerusalem temple site