On a visit to Syria over the weekend, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) said that his talks last week with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had convinced him that a deal could be worked out. Prime Minister Olmert told us that he's interested, that he's looking for a signal from Syria," he said. "I think there is a very important moment in the Middle East and there is a real opportunity if the parties are ready to move,” Specter said.

Specter is set to meet with Syrian President Bashar Assad Sunday. He refused to say whether he would be carrying a message from Olmert to Assad, or vice versa.

On Thursday, Syria denied reports that it had forwarded a message to Israel via Egypt, when Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with Egyptian officials last week."This information is a lie and unfounded" a source told Syrian media in a statement.