In an interview with the Italian La Repubblica, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reported that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan informed him that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed a willingness to withdraw from the Golan Heights in exchange for a peace agreement and diplomatic relations with Syria.
In the interview which appears on Wednesday, the Syrian leader adds, “I am not afraid of Binyamin Netanyahu but the fact that the Israeli people chose a right-wing government lessens the chances of peace.” The Syrian leader expressed disappointment, adding “peace was within reach”.
Assad further explained that four days before Operation Cast Lead began, he had three-way telephone call with Olmert, which was mediated by the Turkish prime minister. He pointed out that Olmert was in Ankara and he was in Damascus.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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4 Responses
trying to weaken the israeli postion by make it seem like it was basicly already given
as right wing as netanyahu is he is left of all these arab leaders/dictators
if that were true, Assad would have been on the flight to Israel to make his speech to the Kenesset the way Sadat did
More likely, Olmert was making demands that were unreasonable from an Arab perspective (such as Syria recognizing Israeli ownership of Jersualem plus the whole of the 1948-1967 lands, and allowing for de facto control including some settlements in the post-1967 area – and perhaps some disarmament in return for Israeli withdrawals).
Israel can not afford to give up the STRATEGIC Golan!
I agree with #5, well-stated!