Syrian official in Madrid calls for fresh = negotiations with Israel - Haaretz

Last = update - 18:48=20 11/01/2007

Syrian = official in Madrid=20 calls for fresh negotiations with Israel

By Akiva Eldar, = Haaretz=20 Correspondent

MADRID - A high-level = Syrian=20 official attending a conference in Madrid along with = Israeli=20 lawmakers on Thursday called on Israel and the United = States=20 to renew talks on an agreement that would see Israel = withdraw=20 from the Golan Heights to the pre-1967 borders, in = return for=20 comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

The=20 conference, which commemorates the 15-year anniversary = of the=20 historic 1991 Madrid Peace Conference, began Thursday = morning.=20 The participation of Israeli and Syrian = representatives at a=20 dinner Wednesday to inaugurate the conference marked = the first=20 time in seven years that officials from the two = countries sat=20 together at the same table.

Riad Daoudi, the = top legal=20 adviser to Syrian President Bashar Assad and to the = Foreign=20 Ministry in Damascus, said that Assad is sticking to = the=20 position taken by his father and predecessor, Hafez = Assad,=20 namely that peace is a Syrian strategic goal which = must be=20 worked toward without hesitation. =

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A lack of = peace, Daoudi=20 said, has an adverse effect on Middle East stability. = He said=20 that now was the time to set in motion fresh = negotiations,=20 something he said was a matter of urgency for Syria = and for=20 the entire region.

Daoudi is accompanied by = Damascus'=20 Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Bushra Kanafani. The = Israeli=20 delegation is comprised of Knesset members and former=20 ministers.

He said that Israel's intentions = were=20 unclear and blamed it for the failure of bilateral = peace=20 talks, particularly in 1996, when Shimon Peres was = prime=20 minister, and in 2000, when Ehud Barak led the = government, and=20 for the subsequent refusals to renew talks. =

Daoudi=20 also accused the U.S. of taking peace off its agenda = in favor=20 of force, which he said went against the interests of = the=20 regional states.

He called on Europe to take a = more=20 active role in renewing talks, and to take an official = role in=20 the Madrid conference in order to revive negotiations = through=20 all channels.

No Israeli = press

The=20 Syrian delegation has refused to meet with Israeli = reporters,=20 however, saying they were instructed by Damascus to do = so, as=20 well as to avoid making any public statements apart = from what=20 is discussed at the conference.

The = participation of=20 the two Syrian officials was made possible following = an=20 invitation of Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, Miguel = Moratinos, and his Swedish, Norwegian and Danish = counterparts,=20 under whose aegis the event is taking place. =

The=20 Syrian decision to participate in the gathering = received a=20 great deal of attention in the Arab media and has been = interpreted as the first step in efforts to resume the = peace=20 talks with Israel.

The Israeli delegation = includes MKs=20 Israel Hasson (Yisrael Beiteinu) and Colette Avital, = former=20 Likud ministers Dan Meridor and Roni Milo, as well as = former=20 Labor ministers Dalia Rabin, Shlomo Ben-Ami, Moshe = Shahal and=20 Ophir Pines-Paz.

Even though the United States = boycotts Syria, retired senior American diplomats are=20 participating in the gathering, including Dan Kurtzer = and=20 Samuel Lewis, who were ambassadors to = Israel.

The=20 European Union is represented by Javier Solana and the = former=20 Spanish prime minister, Felipe Gonzalez, who hosted = the summit=20 in 1991, will also be in attendance. The Arab League = chief and=20 former Egyptian foreign minister, Amr Moussa, is also = present.=20

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Naomi=20 Alderman's prize-winning novel is a love story of two = Orthodox=20 women.




1.	EATING=20 TOGETHER IS OK, BUT SYRIA MUST GIVE UP SOME LAND FOR = PEACE	06:16	\|	Like it is	11/01/07

2.	not=20 such a bad thing	06:19	\|	Eli	11/01/07

3.	Don`t=20 Party Yet!... By The Way Indrajaya!	07:26	\|	Yosemite	11/01/07

4.	Israeli=20 delegation - Pines sitting with Yisrael Beitunu :-) =	07:55	\|	redmike	11/01/07

5.	#=20 1	08:27	\|	brain	11/01/07

6.	to=20 Eli, Syria`s true intention is peace	09:13	\|	gus	11/01/07

7.	redmike=20 and ignorance	09:50	\|	A.M.	11/01/07

8.	Land=20 for Peace	10:29	\|	Reuven	11/01/07

9.	I=20 wasn`t Invited	10:56	\|	Yisrael Medad	11/01/07

10.	gus=20	10:58	\|	Jasmine Murphy	11/01/07

11.	Piece=20 for peace	11:26	\|	Adel	11/01/07

12.	Only=20 Eldar could call Israeli "delegation" for "officials" =	12:30	\|	Absolute Sweden	11/01/07

13.	#7=20 - there is no place for the `personal` in politics! =	12:51	\|	redmike	11/01/07

14.	for=20 #5....	13:13	\|	david	11/01/07

15.	#7=20 btw - please read #1 of the guidlines ..	13:19	\|	redmike	11/01/07

16.	Yosemite,=20 Brain, Gus	13:22	\|	Avi	11/01/07

17.	To=20 Reuven #8	13:40	\|	Jay	11/01/07

18.	Madrid=20 Conference	14:19	\|	SJ	11/01/07

19.	#11=20 Adel	14:21	\|	Itsik	11/01/07

20.	#5=20	14:33	\|	Gili	11/01/07

21.	If=20 Syria is to be given Peace, they must give up land	15:15	\|	factual	11/01/07

22.	While=20 the conference in Madrid takes place, the "president" of = ..	15:19	\|	Nadav	11/01/07

23.	Peace=20 must be given to Syria, but not before they leave our = lands	15:20	\|	Oscar de Monte	11/01/07

24.	Here`s=20 how it works	15:23	\|	Steven	11/01/07

25.	"SYRIA"=20 IS ILLEGALY OCCUPIED TERETORY	15:41	\|	Rosmary	11/01/07

26.	So=20 Syria wants peace	16:02	\|	KUTW	11/01/07

27.	Israel=20 should not trust certain people	16:05	\|	KUTW	11/01/07

28.	Some=20 thoughts on this article	16:08	\|	Howard	11/01/07

29.	Comments=20 on Haaretz Website	16:19	\|	DB	11/01/07

30.	Here=20 is how it will work	16:24	\|	George	11/01/07

31.	SYRIA=20 IS FEELING THE HEAT, THAT`S	16:25	\|	Robert	11/01/07

32.	The=20 Syrian Jews	16:25	\|	KUTW	11/01/07

33.	29.=20 DB: Comments on Haaretz Website	16:32	\|	KUTW	11/01/07

34.	Syria=20 has reputation of a terrorist supporter.	16:41	\|	Vittorio	11/01/07

35.	There=20 is NO HEAT on Syria.........	17:02	\|		11/01/07

36.	There=20 is NO HEAT on Syria.....	17:07	\|	Abu Moussa	11/01/07

37.	#6.Amen=20 Gus.	17:13	\|	Harri	11/01/07

38.	Syrians=20 meeting with Israeli delegation but ...	17:16	\|	Bimmer	11/01/07

39.	#7.=20 Well said .	17:16	\|	Josh	11/01/07

40.	To:Robert#31=20 ( they not getting nothing back, it was not theres) =	17:24	\|	Sonya	11/01/07

41.	here=20 we go again	17:29	\|	fish	11/01/07

42.	Peace=20 with ARABS, not Syria	17:53	\|	Rafael	11/01/07

43.	Don`t=20 trust Syrian intentions. It`s attempt to keep pressure = off	18:04	\|	Marwan = مروان خوري	11/01/07

44.	gus=20 in your dream heaven	18:11	\|	Tamir Gaza	11/01/07

45.	If=20 Syrians really mean peace stop supporting = Hamas,Hezbollah,IJ	18:22	\|	Marwan = مروان خوري	11/01/07

46.	To=20 Marwan #43 and 45, I feel bad for you	18:47	\|	Peace	11/01/07

47.	To=20 Tamir Gaza	18:49	\|	William	11/01/07

48.	William=20	19:42	\|	Tamir Gaza	11/01/07

49.	syria=20 and israel for peace	19:43	\|	Boustyn	11/01/07

50.	#29=20	20:28	\|	Gili	11/01/07

51.	to=20 #5	20:59	\|	yoav galili	11/01/07

52.	to=20 #5	21:02	\|	yoav galili	11/01/07

53.	Adel`s=20 dreams about war: Boukra fil mishmish	21:32	\|	krystal	11/01/07

54.	Keep=20 talking.	21:36	\|	Joe	11/01/07

55.	Marwan=20 - wondering about Syria`s intentions	21:44	\|	krystal	11/01/07

56.	brain=20 : not 20 million	21:56	\|	christa	11/01/07

57.	Bible=20	22:05	\|	Omer	11/01/07

58.	Rosmarywatch=20 the Sopranos and you`ll see the Assad family at work =	22:19	\|	Mark B.	11/01/07

59.	Syria=20 is scared if US	22:44	\|	B`Galil	11/01/07

60.	#1,Who=20 taught you this wisdom	23:50	\|	Wise Syrian	11/01/07

61.	to=20 ELI SYRIA,S TRUE PEACE NO 6.	23:55	\|	DANNY.	11/01/07

62.	syria.=20 throw out hamas then if Israel will talk	23:55	\|	mike	11/01/07

63.	Abu=20 36. You support giving$$$to Hamas	00:03	\|	mike	12/01/07

64.	Syria/Israel=20	00:56	\|	Will	12/01/07

65.	62`=20 mike	00:57	\|	Arik	12/01/07

66.	to=20 abu moussa # 35 on "their muslim brothers"	01:37	\|	terrornator	12/01/07

67.	to=20 wise syrian #60 i can advise iran about its nuclear = program	01:46	\|	terrornator	12/01/07

68.	The=20 Syrian support of regional mideast terror harm ME = stability	02:30	\|	Joseph E .	12/01/07

69.	Heat=20 on Syria	02:52	\|	Lynn	12/01/07

70.	ISRAELI=20 STUPID ARGUMENT	03:29	\|	Lebanese	12/01/07

71.	peace=20 for thirst	04:50	\|	Revach	12/01/07

72.	Eli=20 # 2	15:02	\|	Lynn	12/01/07

73.	#=20 6 gus	15:10	\|	Lynn	12/01/07

74.	#25=20 Rosmary, I`m not sure why I am bothering...	16:01	\|	Johnboy	13/01/07