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Syrian President Bashar Assad. (AP)
Last update - 23:42 21/04/2008
Carter: U.S. would not stand in way of Israel-Syria peace deal
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press
Tags: Syria, Bashar Assad 

Former U.S. president Carter clarified in a meeting last week with Syrian president Bashar Assad that the U.S. would not stand in the way of serious peace negotiations between Syria and Israel.

Carter also said the U.S. would even support any agreement that is reached. He told Meretz chairman Yossi Beilin at a meeting in Jerusalem on Monday that he had made these statements to Assad.
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The former U.S. president approached Beilin in an effort to jumpstart a "Syrian Geneva Accord," which would put on the table a comprehensive plan for peace between Israel and Syria. Carter was referring to an unofficial peace proposal that included unprecedented compromises for both Israelis and Palestinians, which was first launched in late 2003.

Beilin told Carter that the Israeli government failed in its attempt to de-legitimize his visit, and that the public understands better than its government the need for a cease fire and for the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit.

In a meeting on Monday with another MK, Israeli Arab lawmaker Ahmed Tibi, Carter discussed the state of Israel's Arab minority. Tibi accused Israel of discriminating against its Arab citizens.

Carter said that the American public is unaware of the discrimination Arab Israelis suffer from and suggested that Tibi do more to increase U.S. public awareness of the matter.

Also Monday, Carter said that Assad is "eager" to restart negotiations with Israel over the Golan Heights and believes that 85 percent of the differences between the two countries have already been resolved.

Speaking to reporters following talks with officials in Syria and Egypt, Carter said: "In all my conversations with President Assad, whom I've known since he was a college student, I was impressed with their eagerness, complete the agreement on the Golan Heights."

According to Carter, Assad said that "the only major difference in starting good faith talks was that Israel insisted that there will be no public acknowledgement that the talks were going on when Syria insisted that the talks would not be a secret."

The former U.S. president also relayed that Assad believes "85 percent of the differences [between Israel and Syria] had already been resolved, including an agreement on the borders, on water rights - which is applied on the Sea of Galilee - on the security zone and on the presence of international forces."

Carter reiterated that "Syria believes that for all practical purposes all the differences have already been resolved between Syria and Israel and it is just a matter of reconvening the talks and concluding an agreement."

Speaking about the possibility of renewed peace talks between Israel and Syria, he said "Syria wants the U.S. to play a strong role in bringing to two sides together."

In recent days, both Olmert and Assad have confirmed putting out feelers to each other about resuming negotiations

Talks broke off in 2000 after Syria rejected Israel's offer to return the
Golan Heights, which it captured in the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed.

Assad confirms trading messages with Israel
Syrian President Bashar Assad said Sunday that he has exchanged messages with Israel through a third party to explore the possibility of resuming peace talks, the country's official news agency SANA reported.

During a meeting with Syria's ruling Baath Party officials, Assad commented on media reports about indirect contact between the two countries.

"There are efforts exerted in this direction," he was quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Haaretz last week in an interview "I know exactly what the Syrians want and I think the Syrians know what the State of Israel and I expect from the peace process."

Assad echoed these comments Sunday, saying "Israel knows well what is accepted and not accepted by Syria."

"Syria rejects secret [direct] talks or contacts with Israel... Anything Syria does in this regard will be announced to the public," Assad was quoted as saying.

Negotiations broke off in 2000 after Syria rejected Israel's offer to return the Golan Heights, which it captured in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed.

Syria wanted Israel to withdraw to the prewar line on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. But Israel wasn't prepared to give up any control of the lake that provides about half of the country's drinking water.

Despite the peace overtures, tensions have been high between the two countries in recent months, largely stemming from a reported Israeli airstrike on a Syrian military facility in September. Some foreign reports have said the target was a nuclear installation Syria was building with North Korean assistance.

Damascus denies having a nuclear program, and North Korea says it was not involved in any such project. Syria did not retaliate for the attack.

Both Syria and Israel have expressed a willingness to renew talks since Israel's war against the Lebanese-based Hezbollah militia in 2006. Olmert has insisted that if Syria is serious about peace, Damascus must withdraw its support for Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Casting himself as a champion of Arab rights, Assad said Syria would remain "a country of resistance and opposition" to what Damascus regards as aggressive U.S. and Israeli policies in the Middle East.

"The more steadfast we are the more fierce the campaigns against us become," he said, according to the state news agency.

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      1.   Hey Israel and Syria start peace talks and give back the Golan 23:07  |  MOE 20/04/08
      2.   Sure they talk, but who is qualified by Israel ? 23:23  |  Stephen. 20/04/08
      3.   The Golan will never again become entirely Syrian 23:56  |  Akiva P 20/04/08
      4.   Sure thing, MOE 00:17  |  Oddvark 21/04/08
      5.   Who choreographs this long pas-de-deux with Assad...? 00:19  |  Esther 21/04/08
      6.   Al Jawlan - 3Arabie Sourie! 00:20  |  Sayid 21/04/08
      7.   Giving up Golan is suicidal 00:33  |  Steve 21/04/08
      8.   What next trading messages how sweet RIGHT ??? 00:35  |  M. S. 21/04/08
      9.   let me guess... daaa ?? Carter 00:50  |  cynic 21/04/08
      10.   third party 01:00  |  wh 21/04/08
      11.   go syria 01:02  |  thomas 21/04/08
      12.   To #1 01:29  |  Frank 21/04/08
      13.   syria is a big problme 01:39  |  tony 21/04/08
      14.   This is the deal that makes or breaks Israel 01:39  |  Harold 21/04/08
      15.   RE: 1 - you made a mistake the Golan belongs to Israel not Syria 02:16  |  zionist forever 21/04/08
      16.   #9 not according to international law zionist clown 03:03  |  law 21/04/08
      17.   #3, cynic 03:14  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/04/08
      18.   golan height 03:29  |  thor 21/04/08
      19.   Arabs are turning away from Syria 05:44  |  Abdul Aziz Higazi 21/04/08
      20.   Re: The Golan Heights 05:46  |  Douglas Fireman 21/04/08
      21.   Why Israel keeps claiming secret talks 06:06  |  Rowan (Niqnaq) 21/04/08
      22.   Nothing will come of this except the usual words without action 07:53  |  Natallie Durson 21/04/08
      23.   If Syria really wants peace. 08:36  |  Jean Van Daem 21/04/08
      24.   If Syria wants really peace. 08:36  |  Jean Van Daem 21/04/08
      25.   If Syria really wants peace. 08:36  |  Jean Van Daem 21/04/08
      26.   #16 the clown who claims to be a lawyer ??? 10:12  |  v hardman 21/04/08
      27.   Golan 10:45  |  Robin Hood 21/04/08
      28.   Peace Off 12:18  |  Syrian 21/04/08
      29.   HE MOE why don`t you tell your govt.HAMAS what to do,in Arabic 12:30  |  PETER S .M. 21/04/08
      30.   DURSON.As Syria can`t even get brother Arabs together to meet 13:11  |  PETER S .M. 21/04/08
      31.   SYRIAN.Selectively using facts will certainly put peace off 13:37  |  PETER S.M. 21/04/08
      32.   DURSON/PEACEOFF Assad says 85% of differences between Israel, S 14:02  |  PETER SM 21/04/08
      33.   Chimpans and Homo Sapiens differ only in 2% og genes 14:19  |  Absolute Sweden 21/04/08
      34.   #26 Eezy-peezy, VictorPaul 14:26  |  Johnboy 21/04/08
      35.   YAWN YAWN TELL US THE OLD OLD STORY ! 14:37  |  v hardman 21/04/08
      36.   Israel must say "yes" to peace and 14:56  |  Tony 21/04/08
      37.   Absolute 15:10  |  Kimmmo 21/04/08
      38.   Another Great Carter Idea 15:13  |  Christoph M 21/04/08
      39.   Israel should give 15:20  |  The revving girl 21/04/08
      40.   #34 johnboy catches himself out as usual 15:22  |  v hardman 21/04/08
      41.   #25 15:24  |  Jim 21/04/08
      42.   Judgement impaired 15:24  |  leo 21/04/08
      43.   This old fool 15:43  |  Bob 21/04/08
      44.   news report 15:48  |  K 21/04/08
      45.   And I Have bridge To Sell in Brooklyn! 15:50  |  B`Galil 21/04/08
      46.   Hamas: recognize Jewish state! 15:53  |  Tulip 21/04/08
      47.   Peace ... The Most Treatening Obstacle 15:54  |  DoubleClick 21/04/08
      48.   No Kinneret to Syria 15:54  |  Tulip 21/04/08
      49.   85% agreement? what is the 15% 15:55  |  Tulip 21/04/08
      50.   Israel CAN Give Back Golan - Here`s How: 15:58  |  B`Galil 21/04/08
      51.   That one term fool forgets .... 15:59  |  Kobi 21/04/08
      52.   # 28 THE SYRIAN 16:04  |  Debbah 21/04/08
      53.   Pipeline 16:05  |  Dr D 21/04/08
      54.   Making agreements 16:17  |  roger wallace 21/04/08
      55.   Syria wants US involvement 16:37  |  Tosefta 21/04/08
      56.   Syria 16:42  |  Gary 21/04/08
      57.   v hardman # 26 It`s Complicated (part 1) 16:47  |  Jeff Northridge 21/04/08
      58.   v hardman # 26 It`s Complicated (part 2) 17:36  |  Jeff Northridge 21/04/08
      59.   v hardman # 26 It`s Complicated (part 3) 18:03  |  Jeff Northridge 21/04/08
      60.   Is Carter Giving Away His Homestead In Georgia? 18:24  |  Sarah 21/04/08
      61.   @60 Sarah, an American colinialist in the best European tradition 00:13  |  Mark B. 22/04/08
      62.   CARTER THINKS HE IS STILL THE PRESIDENT 00:20  |  zionist forever 22/04/08
      63.   Carter says he is there only for himself 00:50  |  Charles 22/04/08
      64.   #40 VictorPaul simply does not listen 01:22  |  Johnboy 22/04/08
      65.   GARTER GOOD FOR 01:23  |  TOBIA 22/04/08
      66.   SHOTAGE OF GOODS 01:31  |  TOBIA 22/04/08
      67.   All 3 remaining US Presidential canidates will talk to Syria 03:03  |  Pablo B 22/04/08
      68.   Carter is not your friend Israel 03:52  |  Bill 22/04/08
      69.   Msg. To jimmy carter-YOU WERE NOT RE-ELECTED 03:58  |  AVRAM