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Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad, Damascus' representative at Annapolis, during the conference this week. (Reuters) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 19:42 01/12/2007 Labor MK Yatom calls for talks with Syria without preconditions By The Associated Press Tags: Syria, Israel, Palestinians  Israel should drop its preconditions and immediately resume peace talks with Syria, Labor Party MK Danny Yatom told Israel Radio on Saturday. Yatom, a confidant of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, also said that it would be easier to reach a deal with Syria than with the Palestinians, and that progress with Syria could accelerate Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. "I think the time has come to renew negotiations with Syria," he said. "After Annapolis, we need to take advantage of the new atmosphere." Advertisement The radio said Yatom was briefed by Barak after the defense minister returned from the international Mideast conference held earlier this week in Annapolis, Maryland. It was not immediately clear whether Yatom spoke on behalf of Barak, or expressed his personal view. Yatom said he has not discussed the matter with Barak, but he estimated that Barak, his party chief, would not turn down the idea. The Annapolis conference focused on the Israeli-Palestinian track but also Syria sent a representative, raising hopes that it could be persuaded to break its alliance with Iran if talks with Israel resume. An Annapolis follow-up conference, tentatively scheduled for Moscow in the spring, may address the Israeli-Syrian conflict directly. Yatom, a former chief of Israel's Mossad spy agency, said the government should drop a series of preconditions and start talks with Syria immediately. In the past, Israel has demanded as a precondition for talks that the Syrian government withdraw support for militant groups, including the Palestinian factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah. In exchange for peace, Syria wants Israel to return all of the Golan Heights, a plateau captured by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. Yatom said that in March 2000, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton proposed to Syria, with Israel's backing, that Israel withdraw to the 1967 borders, except for a very slight modification in the northeastern part of the Sea of Galilee. Barak was prime minister at the time, and Yatom his top aide and senior negotiator with Syria. Yatom suggested that negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians be conducted simultaneously, but said it would be easier to reach a deal with Damascus. "Between us and Syria, there's only the issue of a border, and we were very close in March 2000," he said. "The negotiations with Syria, if resumed, will also accelerate the negotiations with the Palestinians." Palestinian officials fear that talks with Israel would stall if the Israeli-Syrian track was revived. "Israel is manipulating the negotiations by talking about tracks," said Nimr Hamad, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Syrian-Israeli path is the easiest excuse, and an old one. However, he said the Palestinians would not oppose parallel negotiations on both tracks. Imad Fawzi Shueibi, a Syrian political analyst close to the regime, said the Israeli position was expected after the Annapolis conference that sought to reopen dialogue between Israel and Syria. "This is their chance to launch peace negotiations with Syria," he said, adding that Syria has proven to be the problem of the region and its solution as well. Syria: Annapolis summit a defeat for the Palestinians A Syrian state-run newspaper on Saturday described this week's U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference as a defeat for the Palestinians and for peace in the region. In a surprise move lauded by participants at the time, Syria took part in the U.S.-brokered Mideast conference in Annapolis last week where Israel and the Palestinians announced that peace talks would resume after a violent seven-year freeze and agreed to try and reach an agreement by the end of 2008. "The U.S. administration has the right to consider the Annapolis meeting a brilliant victory, but not for the Palestinian people ... only for Israel," said the front page editorial in the Tishrin daily. "While the Bush administration and Israel may consider what happened and what could happen to destroy the Palestinian cause a victory, we consider it a defeat for a just and comprehensive peace," Tishrin said. "That peace," it added, "can only be achieved by ending Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories." The newspaper, which reflects government thinking, criticized U.S. President George W. Bush's statement at the opening session of the Annapolis meeting in which he referred to Israel as a Jewish state, calling it "a consecration of Israeli racism." It described the conference as "a carnival that reminds us of similar celebrations since Oslo until today, and of agreements that with time have gone with the wind." Syria, which agreed to attend the conference only after receiving assurances that the issue of the Golan Heights was added to the agenda, left Annapolis without a specific promise to restart stalled talks with Israel. In the immediate aftermath of the conference, however, Syrian papers praised the event and urged a more activist role for the U.S. to promote peace in the region. Syrian President Bashar Assad discussed the Annapolis meeting late Friday with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Syria's official news agency said. SANA said Ban applauded Syria's constructive participation in the meeting. Related articles: Washington: There is no place yet for Syria in peace process Peres: Israel maintains secret contacts with Syria all the time The price of Arab inclusion U.S. inviting Syria to summit due to air strike Bookmark to del.icio.us Big heart The organs of an IDF soldier were donated to five people in Israel and Germany. Settler harassment Palestinians in the West Bank said settlers threw stones at a boy and stole his donkey.   1.   A Jewsih State//// 13:47  |  Joe 01/12/07   2.   Abbas is a moron; a proven fact now. 14:56  |  Dutch Dirk 01/12/07   3.   "Jewish state racist" says Islamic state 14:58  |  yougottalaugh 01/12/07   4.   Know who you`re dealing with 14:59  |  David Gesundheit 01/12/07   5.   To Joe 15:01  |  David Gesundheit 01/12/07   6.   Thanks you Joe...For people like you we have a Jewish State 15:04  |  The Dumbite Kid 01/12/07   7.   Joe # 1 15:33  |  ChanahS 01/12/07   8.   israel a jewish state called rasesist 15:43  |  geroge 01/12/07   9.   #1 Joe 15:46  |  David 01/12/07   10.   #1 Joe "A Jewish State" 15:51  |  Axel 01/12/07   11.   Racist Because a Jewish State?! 16:07  |  CHGODMK 01/12/07   12.   To David and Joe.. 16:18  |  Ariel 01/12/07   13.   No, that`s not racism 16:18  |  Awake 01/12/07   14.   #4: How free are the Jews of Iraq... as Jews? 16:21  |  Kevin 01/12/07   15.   #10 Axel: Slovenia and the Slovenian People 16:29  |  Kevin 01/12/07   16.   " HERMITS FOLLY"! (i.e. Olmert) 16:44  |  Stephen. 01/12/07   17.   A Defeat for the Palestinians 16:50  |  Mark Lincoln 01/12/07   18.   ARAB DIPLOMACY NEEDS A "NASRALLAH" 16:54  |  indrajaya 01/12/07   19.   # 1 Joe...from the US, known as a Christian 17:05  |  Lynn 01/12/07   20.   # 10 Axel of Germany...Joe doesn`t understand 17:09  |  Lynn 01/12/07   21.   Israel is a Jewish state just like Mecca, Arabia, Dubai,etc,, 17:16  |  david 01/12/07   22.   #15 Kevin 17:20  |  Axel 01/12/07   23.   Syria really does not want the Golan 17:21  |  Ron 01/12/07   24.   Sour grapes for Syria... 17:31  |  Esther 01/12/07   25.   Syria is ever Syria.... 17:38  |  Esther 01/12/07   26.   #1 Joe you`re putting words in Israel`s mouth 17:39  |  Conroy 01/12/07   27.   iSLANIC STATE 17:43  |  FAREMAN 01/12/07   28.   Where is the ADL? 17:46  |  brad 01/12/07   29.   Visiting the Temple Mount 17:53  |  Esther 01/12/07   30.   UN Partitioned Palestine in a "Jewish State" 17:54  |  James 01/12/07   31.   Who is a Jew??? 17:59  |  Joe 01/12/07   32.   #21 Alleged freedoms?? 18:08  |  Joe 01/12/07   33.   #1 Yes, Joe, a Jewish State!! 18:51  |  Yonatan 01/12/07   34.   #32 Joe and his "alleged freedoms" 18:55  |  Conroy 01/12/07   35.   Syrian ARAB Republic 19:01  |  Briton 01/12/07   36.   #29 brad, you don`t know beans about Judaism 19:03  |  Yonatan 01/12/07   37.   #35 briton - some addtions for Joe 19:18  |  Yonatan 01/12/07   38.   33 Yonatan - A Question 19:37  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/12/07   39.   No modern democracy is an ethnocracy,and israel does not have a 19:52  |  lakshmi 01/12/07   40.   ANOTHER GENIUS 20:19  |  shaul elliot 01/12/07   41.   the luckiest government in the world 20:24  |  orphan 01/12/07   42.   the luckiest government in the world 20:24  |  orphan 01/12/07   43.   The implications of a "Jewish State" 20:42  |  Kevin 01/12/07   44.   # 1 Joe; By your criteri USA is not an European/American WASP 20:45  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 01/12/07   45.   Mr Yatom...lead the peace..go to Syria via So. Leb 21:26  |  SLAVO 01/12/07   46.   we must unconditionally throw you out yatom 21:36  |  ralph 01/12/07   47.   peace with syria 21:39  |  eric perez 01/12/07   48.   Ron should check out the facts 21:45  |  brad 01/12/07   49.   Israel and Syria, a Return to Reality? 1 21:47  |  David Turner 01/12/07   50.   Israel and Syria, a Return to Reality? 2 21:49  |  David Turner 01/12/07   51.   Yonotan-what about loyal Israeli Arabs? 21:53  |  brad 01/12/07   52.   Another round of talks ? Leave it alone -Syrians did 22:05  |  Sal 01/12/07   53.   labor Yatom .............................. 01:03  |  Sam Popack 02/12/07   54.   Right, Palestinians Defeated Time to Make Peace 01:36  |  Jane 02/12/07

Today Online Abbas: Now is the moment of truth for Palestinian statehood Responses: 397 Editorial: If Israel wants to avoid its apartheid epithet, it must halt expansion Responses: 329 Washington: No place yet for Syria in the peace process Responses: 106 High Court orders state to delay power cuts to Gaza Responses: 85 Haaretz.com TV: Gazans using Viagra to alleviate distress Responses: 69 Esther Solomon: Falling for falsehood of Holocaust e-mail Responses: 30 Rosner's Domain The new Jews who actually love their Shabbat services "Anyone who shows contempt for Bush - not serious person," says Olmert Lebanon will pay the price for Annapolis (WTR) Poll: So, was the Annapolis meeting a success? More Headlines 03:34 Study: U.S., Israel should begin planning Iran strike 22:27 Abbas reiterates refusal to recognize Jewish state 02:55 Israel won't cut power to Gaza Strip until High Court gives okay 23:26 Hamas threatens to 'strike deep' after six militants killed in Gaza 05:39 Millions of names thought vanished added to Holocaust museum records 01:46 Envoy: UN may have deal on third sanctions resolution against Iran 02:49 Peki`in officials call to establish commission to probe clashes 00:32 Parents' organizations split over holding strike at schools 01:59 Eilat hotels ban hiring foreign workers in favor of new immigrants Previous Editions Select Day 30 nov 29 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 23 nov 22 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov

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