Olmert Hopes to Receive Answers about Syria”s Willingness to Distance Itself from Hizbullah
Israel”s prime minister is expecting Turkey to arrange another round of talks with Syria soon, hoping to receive answers about Damascus” willingness to distance itself from Hizbullah, An official in Ehud Olmert”s office has said.
Olmert is aware of the restrictions of his caretaker role and is not planning to reach agreements with the Syrians, the official told The Associated Press on Friday.
Instead, Olmert hopes to receive answers about Syria”s willingness to distance itself from its allies in Iran and Hizbullah, a key Israeli demand. In turn, the Syrians were expected to raise the subject of final borders, the official said on condition of anonymity because the information was not officially made public.
Israel and Syria have been holding indirect talks through Turkish mediators, but the contacts have been suspended for months because of political upheaval in Israel.
Olmert, who announced he would step down to face corruption allegations, remains the caretaker leader of a temporary government until after national elections on Feb. 10. His opponents say he should freeze negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians in the meantime, but Olmert says he will press ahead.
Olmert "sees importance in the continuation of the dialogue and the continuation of the talks," said the Israeli premier”s spokesman, Mark Regev.
Syria hopes to win back the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau it lost to Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel later annexed the territory, a move that has not been recognized internationally. An earlier round of peace talks in the late 1990s foundered over disagreements about the extent of an Israeli withdrawal.
The Syrians have indicated they might not agree to resume talks with an Israeli prime minister who has little clout.
"This process cannot be resumed before the political crisis in Israel is solved," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem told a news conference in London on Monday, following talks with his British counterpart.