Syria doubts Israel wants peace
JPost.com Staff, THE JERUSALEM POST
Jun. 7, 2007
Syria has not changed its position, and is ready to resume peace talks with Israel, a senior Syrian official told French news agencies on Thursday.
However, the official said, Syria doubted Israel's commitment to the peace process. According to Israel Radio, the official added that there was little hope in Damascus that the status quo would change.
Meanwhile, Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog assured Romanian Foreign Minister Razvan Ungureanu and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos during a meeting in Bucharest that Israel was, in fact, ready to work towards peace with Syria.
Israel was willing to hold "honest" dialogue with its northern neighbor, Herzog said. The problem, he explained, was Syria's ties to Iran, as demonstrated by its continued support of Hizbullah and Hamas.
Herzog reiterated comments made Wednesday by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Israel had no plan to open a front with Syria, and said he hoped that Damascus did not intend to plunge the entire region into conflict.
Syria doubts Israel wants peace
