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الانديبندنت - 7/7/2007

Olmert favours peace talks with Syria

 while making preparations for war

By Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem

Published:  07 June 2007

The Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, yesterday hauled Syria to the top of his agenda with a strategy apparently designed to demonstrate that Israel is prepared for war while exploring possible negotiations on a lasting peace.

A special security cabinet set up an 11-strong ministerial committee on Syria which will be briefed on the military's preparations for a possible conflict with Damascus . One Israeli official also suggested the committee could consider calls from within the Israeli establishment for talks with Syria .

Advocates of exploring negotiations with President Bashar Assad argue they could secure a halt to Syrian backing for Hizbollah and Hamas in return for Israel agreeing to hand back the Golan Heights , seized 40 years ago in the Six-Day War.

The security cabinet met the day after a highly publicised military exercise in the Negev desert in which the army "attacked" an objective designed to resemble a Syrian village. The exercise followed warnings by the Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, of a possible " deterioration" on Israel 's northern front.

It also reportedly heard a military intelligence assessment that after movements of Syrian troops and rockets to positions north of the Golan, President Assad was well placed to launch a surprise attack on the Heights but was unlikely to initiate hostilities.

Mr Olmert told the cabinet that " Israel does not want war with Syria " and said that he was interested in holding direct negotiations with Damascus . This appeared to contradict earlier suggestions that Israel would not talk to its north-eastern neighbour without first having clear evidence that it would cease support for Hizbollah and Hamas.

The doveish Kadima minister Meir Sheetrit opposed the formation of a ministerial committee which would review military preparations because it conflicted with Mr Olmert's stated objective of seeking peace.

The committee will include the ultra-hawkish Avigdor Lieberman who said yesterday that the reason for President Assad's recent interviews floating the idea of negotiations was to deflect the threat posed by the international tribunal on the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. But Israeli officials report a tentative shift among some ministers away from outright opposition to negotiations, because of their view that talks with the Palestinians are not progressing.

A projected meeting today between Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, and Mr Olmert was cancelled at the Palestinians' request. Palestinian officials indicated that they had failed to make adequate progress in securing downpayments on up to $800m (£400m) owed to the Palestinian Authority, which Israel has been withholding since Hamas took office last year. Israel is also refusing to extend any ceasefire for Gaza to the West Bank , where it has continued raids in the hunt for militants.

Israeli troops shot dead a 67-year-old Palestinian man, Yehia al-Jabari, and injured six other family members during a pre-dawn raidat his home in Hebron yesterday.

There have been indirect contacts between Syria and Israel through intermediaries. But Yossi Alpher, a leading Israeli analyst and advocate of talks with Syria, said yesterday that Mr Olmert would have to overcome three hurdles before substantive negotiations: persuading a still wary President George Bush at his forthcoming meeting in Washington to give "the green light"; reluctance by Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to see talks with Damascus; and the complications posed by the choice of a new defence minister after the Labour leadership elections next week.

Mr Alpher added: "He will have to make the case that it would be in Israel 's existential interest [to talk to Syria ]. I am not sure whether he is up to that."

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2621823.ece

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نشرنا لهذه المقالات لا يعني أنها تعبر عن وجهة نظر المركز كلياً أو جزئياً

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من حق الزائر الكريم أن ينقل وأن ينشر كل ما يعجبه من موقعنا . معزواً إلينا ، أو غير معزو .ـ