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Syria Must Show It's Serious About Progress Before Negotiations Can Be Held

[Conference of Presidents] Malcolm Hoenlein - Israel should do what it believes is necessary based on the facts on the ground. The United States says it will not negotiate with Syria because Syria has failed every test, and has not taken a single step to indicate that it's serious about peace and about improving the situation in the region. There are clear benchmarks and Assad has not met even one. If Mr. Assad is prepared to say that he has changed like Gaddafi, let him prove it. When Gaddafi wanted to signal his new direction, he produced and the West responded. Mr. Assad has not produced....Israel as an independent country has the right to pursue whatever avenues it determines to be necessary to serve the security and well-being of the state and its people. The goal of Syria was to talk to the U.S., not to Israel. If they want to talk to Israel, they know how to do it. Prime Minister Olmert said he was prepared for unconditional negotiations on all issues. But the fact is that Syria keeps insisting that there will be a go-between. Why shouldn't there be direct contact? If the Syrians are truly interested in talking peace with their neighbor, they don't have to have somebody from Washington mediating.
2007-08-10 01:00:00
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