In an interview conducted Monday night with the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya satellite television station, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called for direct negotiations with Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad and explained his view of the split Palestinian Authority leadership. He also issued a veiled threat to Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah. 
Prime Minister Olmert used the Al-Arabiya platform to address Assad directly.
Speaking from his office in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Olmert used the Al-Arabiya platform to address Assad directly, saying, "I turn to you, Mr. Assad, and call for direct peace negotiations, but you... prefer American go-betweens. The American president says: 'I don't want to stand between Bashar Assad and Ehud Olmert. If you want to talk, sit down and talk.'"
Prime Minister Olmert went on to say that Israel has "no hostile intentions towards Syria." When asked where he and Assad could meet, Olmert said that he is willing to meet the Syrian leader "anywhere he'd like."
The interview also touched on the Lebanese recipient of Syrian and Iranian military, tactical and political largess, the Hizbullah terrorist organization. The Prime Minister asked rhetorically why Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah is no longer seen wandering around openly in Beirut ever since last year's Second Lebanon War.
Regarding the Israeli relationship to the currently split Palestinian Authority, Prime Minister Olmert explained that Hamas, which now controls Gaza, considers the establishment of a Palestinian entity in any of the lands of Judea, Samaria and Gaza merely as a transitional stage towards the destruction of the State of Israel. For that reason, there cannot be negotiations with Hamas. However, Olmert went on to tell Al-Arabiya, he sees Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as a definite partner for peace. Olmert noted that he has reservations regarding several specific ideas Abbas put forward to resolve the PA-Israel conflict, but that they do not preclude negotiations.
In reaction to the broadcast of selections of the Al-Arabiya interview with Prime Minister Olmert on Israel's Channel 10 news on Monday night, Peace Now activists hoisted Syrian flags at the entrance to Jerusalem. Yariv Oppenheimer, director of the far-left group, said activists wanted to prepare the city for Assad's arrival. The Syrian president has rejected the open invitation to negotiate, calling it a publicity stunt.
The full Al-Arabiya interview, conducted in Hebrew, will be broadcast on Tuesday evening. While based in the United Arab Emirates capital Dubai, Al-Arabiya is heavily influenced by Saudi backing and it competes with the more popular, international and multi-lingual Qatar-based Al-Jazeera.