UPDATED ON:
Thursday, September 04, 2008
21:36 Mecca time, 18:36 GMT
 
News Middle East
Syria sets basis for peace talks
Assad said he was waiting for Israel's reply to six points proposals to kick off direct talks [AFP]

Damascus has sent a proposal to Israel laying out the basis for direct peace talks, Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, has said.

 

"We are awaiting Israel's response to six points that we have submitted through Turkey," he said on Thursday.

 

"Our response would be positive, paving the way for direct talks after a new US administration -  that believes in the peace process - takes office," al-Assad said at a four-way summit in Damascus involving Turkey, Qatar and France.

 

Al-Assad's proposal came after Israel pulled out of talks earlier on Sunday following the resignation of the chief Israeli negotiator.

 

A senior Israeli official said the government was trying to set a new date for a fifth round of indirect neogitations with Syria after a session planned for Sunday was called following the resignation of negotiator Yoram Turbowitz as prime minister Ehud Olmert's chief-of-staff.

 

The summit in Damascus, involving Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister and Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, was aimed at finding a way to reach a breakthrough between Israel and Syria.

 

Seeking support

 

Syria has said that ultimately only Washington has the power to sponsor direct talks between it and Tel Aviv, although it has been keen to win greater international support for the process.

 

"We are also waiting for the Israeli election to be assured that a new prime minister would be on the same track as Olmert and be ready to completely withdraw from the occupied land in order to achieve peace," al-Assad said.

 

He also said Lebanese president Michel Sleiman had agreed to join future direct talks with Israel, adding: "We don't want just a peace agreement. We want peace."

 

Israel and Syria, which have technically been at war for 60 years, launched indirect negotiations brokered by Turkey in May, eight years after talks were frozen over the fate of the Golan Heights, which Israel occupies.

 

Western hostility

 

Israel seized the Golan, a strategic plateau, in the 1967 war with Arab states and annexed it in 1981 in a move not recognised by the international community. 

 

Sarkozy is the first Western head of state to visit Syria since the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq al-Hariri in a 2005 bombing in Beirut that was widely blamed on Damascus.

 

Relations between Paris and Damascus have started to improve since Sarkozy hosted al-Assad in France in July.

 

Sarkozy appears determined to bring Syria back into the international fold, despite hostility from other Western powers, including the US.

 

France has promised al-Assad economic incentives in return for political progress.

 Source: Al Jazeera and Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 15
 
melody lane
United States
06/09/2008
Peace and Syria
I'm curious about the six points. Is this another one of those plans where in Israel will no longer exist if it agrees to the demands for it will mean the Muslim nations that surround it will overwhelm it in numbers, take over the Knesset, and once again take pot shots at the Israelis from the hilltops? Why do the Muslims think the world doesn't realize the Jews are a minority and Muslims a majority.

Zinnedine
United States
07/09/2008
Golan
Jasmine:Your simplistic depiction of Israel is disturbing.It underscores the reason why Arabs are not truly interested in peace or coexistnce with Israel.This right of return is a ploy to eliminate Jewish inhabitation in the region.The apartheid claim is misrepresentative tool for this aim.Since Hamas is majority in Palestinian parliament, we all know what their first act would be if they became dominant in your fake 1-state solution.You foget,there is no Palestinian Mandela only a Palestinian Mugabe.

rezasantorini
United States
08/09/2008
Israel as an apartheid State
I keep on seeing if referenced as such. Yet when looking up apartheid I do not see Israel as an apartheid state as was South Africa. Muslims in Israel can use public facilities and walk the streets. It is those that are not citizens that have restrictions as most come from countries that are dedicated to the destruction of Israel. That is not apartheid that is smart. Do all Muslim countries let Jews/Israelis walk around their countries and visit all places?

Khaldoun
Australia
10/09/2008
Miche Norman
Don't include Christians in your arguments, Muslims and Christians live together in all of the East Mediterranean and the A. Peninsula. The Church and the Mosque are both pillar icons in Damascus. Now you and your people want the Christians to be in same boat??...come on ha, a few history books should get you back on track

Aftab
Jordan
10/09/2008
We are the problem.
We Arabs are the obstacle. Just look at the approach to "negotiation" Syria is taking. First Israel should agree to everything Syria wants (full withdrawal from the Golan) and then Asad will be willing to "start" face to face negotiation. First submit and then negotiate????? Crazy.

Sadalla
United States
05/09/2008
Irael and Syria
Many thanks to Sheikh Hamad ben Khalifa Al-Thani. He helped Lebanon overcome all the secreterial issues, now hopefully they will help Syria regain their beautiful Golan Heights. I hope the Syrian do not forget the West Bank and Gaza and sign a peace treaty and theave the Palestinians alone to face the spoiled baby of the US, Israel. God bless Qatar and AlJazeera.

Omar
Nigeria
05/09/2008
As a Lebanese of Syrian root, I believe that it is quite refreshing that Syria could get out of its shell much often. It musn't be afraid to integrate itself into the greater, but ever-changing, society. Not only that the it might reclaim the Golan Height back into Syrian geography, the Arab Republic could also encourage foreigners to visit it and its major cities and sites, hence generating income via tourism. This potential peace talk could also resolve some of MidEast's problems in time.

Jasmine
Canada
05/09/2008
Syria talks with apartheid Israel
To some this make appear as a step in the right direction, however it most certintly is not. For no Arab country should have any sort of disscussion / "peace talks" with apartheid Israel, until there is justice for our Palestinian siters and brothers. Justice must come first then peace, inshallah with follow. One must admit the wrong they have committed and undo the lies and propaganda that they have spread to the world.

Jasmine
Canada
05/09/2008
Syria talks with apartheid Isreal
To some this may appear as a step in the right direction, however it most certainly is not. For no Arab country should have any sort of discussion / "peace talks" with apartheid Israel, until there is justice for our Palestinian sitters and brothers. Justice must come first then peace, inshallah with follow. One must admit the wrong they have committed and undo the lies and propaganda that they have spread to the world

Miche Norman
Israel
06/09/2008
Peace with Syria
We understand he wants the Golan, we do not understand that he wants peace. He carries on arming Hezbollah in breach of 1701, he wants to keep relations with Iran which threatens to wipe us of the face of the earth, he supports Hammas terrorism, he still harbors german Nazis and he offers us a cold "peace" or non-war in exchange for control over our water resources. riding 2 horses at the same time - it does not wash. A simple gesture such as releasing the body of eli cohen would help

cru1se
Afghanistan
07/09/2008
peace
When arabs love their children more than they hate Israel their will be eace. What about jewish citizens of Arab countries that had their property taken away from them by arab countries? What about the arab countries that will not give Palestinians citizenship and make them live in camps? Israel is the only Jewish state and should remain as one. Read bitterlemons.org and get a balanced prospective.

Mohannad El-Khairy
United Arab Emirates
07/09/2008
Syria & Israel
Israel is an Apartheid State, similar what South Africa experienced from 1948 to 1990. Unlike SA however, Arab gvts are talking "peace" instead of identifying, addressing, and changing the root cause of the problem: Apartheid. Once Israeli Apartheid is eliminated, the real seeds of peace will be planted. Not this unnatural, volatile, pro-"economic incentives" kind of "peace". Israeli injustices&war crimes must be addressed for the Arab populations to support a real peace process.

Miche Norman
Israel
07/09/2008
Mohammed EK - Aparheid??
In Israel all moslems have full voting rights, there are Arab MK's, most Arabs don t serve in the army or do national service so in fact they get all of the rights and none of the obligations. your conscept of "dhimmis status" is foreign to us How many Jews and christians -even your Palestinian brothers are allowed to be citizens in your country? do they have full equal rights? First of all open up your society and then criticize others. We don't beleive in ethnic cleansing like the PA

John
New Zealand (Aotearoa)
08/09/2008
Return of the Golan
Hi, my family and I have just returned from a very enjoyable three weeks holiday in Syria. I found it a wonderful place to visit. The people were friendly and welcoming and seemed very reasonable. The Golan is not covered with settlements so I'm sure for the right terms it could be returned in a week. I'm sure we could sort it out over a cup of tea, with a bit of give and take. Don't you people want to? Try not taking yourselves and life so seriously. Love to all John

zamir ahmed`
India
08/09/2008
Syria & Israel
Peace is not possble with Israel. The way they are behaving with Palestine people and the rights of Palestine is voilated by So Called Internation community including Arab World and it is very shamefull. Some time I feel shame that why I born as human, I would have been a tree of animal

 
ARTICLE TOOLS
 Email Article  Email article
 Print Article  Print article
 Send Feedback  Send feedback
 Share article  Share article