President Katzav told Israel Radio on Monday, "I invite the president of Syria to come to Jerusalem and meet with the heads of the state and hold serious negotiations." On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he was ready for peace talks with Syria, but only if Damascus stopped funding and supporting terrorist groups.
Within hours of the president’s radio interview, Syrian spokesmen rejected the invitation to Israel out of hand. Assad has recently reiterated his interest in resuming negotiations with Israel, although only based on an a priori Israeli concession of the Golan Heights. The Israeli position is that negotiations must begin with no preconditions.
Prior to Assad’s reply, the president’s invitation to Assad was greeted with satisfaction by Nadia Cohen, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, captured and executed by Syria in 1965. "This is encouraging news," said Cohen. "Now we can see whether Assad really has peaceful intentions, or if he is not serious. This may be a step toward realizing my greatest hopes and personal wishes that one day Syria will return the bones of my husband."
Knesset Member Ehud Yatom (Likud), said, "The invitation extended to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to visit Israel by President Katzav, while Syria remains a supporter of terrorism and directly enables terror attacks inside Israel, is an embarrassment to the prime minister. An invitation like this surrenders Israel’s obligation to bring an end to terrorism."
Members of Knesset Aryeh Eldad (National Union) and Gilad Erden (Likud) responded with a tongue-in-cheek invitation to Iran’s President Khatami to enter into negotiations with Israel without any pre-conditions. Eldad and Erden expressed their frustration to Arutz-7's Haggai Seri Levi, saying that the proposals inviting Israel’s enemies to Israel are purely for purposes of public relations.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz expressed confidence that US interrogators dealing with Saddam Hussein will eventually establish the connection between the dethroned Iraqi leader, Damascus, and the yet-to-be-found weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Once the link is established, explained Mofaz, it is quite clear what position America will take concerning Assad and his repeated calls to resume talks with Israel.
In a letter written to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf last week, Syrian defector and journalist Nizar Najoef, known for challenging the Syrian regime, wrote that Iraq’s WMD are located in three sites in Syria: In tunnels under the town of Baida near the city of Hama in northern Syria; in the village of Tal Snan, north of a Syrian air force base; and in the city of Sjinsjar on the Syrian border with the Lebanon, south of the city Homs. According to Najoef, the WMD components were transferred to Syria under the personal watch of Bashar Al-Assad and members of his family.
Within hours of the president’s radio interview, Syrian spokesmen rejected the invitation to Israel out of hand. Assad has recently reiterated his interest in resuming negotiations with Israel, although only based on an a priori Israeli concession of the Golan Heights. The Israeli position is that negotiations must begin with no preconditions.
Prior to Assad’s reply, the president’s invitation to Assad was greeted with satisfaction by Nadia Cohen, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, captured and executed by Syria in 1965. "This is encouraging news," said Cohen. "Now we can see whether Assad really has peaceful intentions, or if he is not serious. This may be a step toward realizing my greatest hopes and personal wishes that one day Syria will return the bones of my husband."
Knesset Member Ehud Yatom (Likud), said, "The invitation extended to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to visit Israel by President Katzav, while Syria remains a supporter of terrorism and directly enables terror attacks inside Israel, is an embarrassment to the prime minister. An invitation like this surrenders Israel’s obligation to bring an end to terrorism."
Members of Knesset Aryeh Eldad (National Union) and Gilad Erden (Likud) responded with a tongue-in-cheek invitation to Iran’s President Khatami to enter into negotiations with Israel without any pre-conditions. Eldad and Erden expressed their frustration to Arutz-7's Haggai Seri Levi, saying that the proposals inviting Israel’s enemies to Israel are purely for purposes of public relations.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz expressed confidence that US interrogators dealing with Saddam Hussein will eventually establish the connection between the dethroned Iraqi leader, Damascus, and the yet-to-be-found weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Once the link is established, explained Mofaz, it is quite clear what position America will take concerning Assad and his repeated calls to resume talks with Israel.
In a letter written to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf last week, Syrian defector and journalist Nizar Najoef, known for challenging the Syrian regime, wrote that Iraq’s WMD are located in three sites in Syria: In tunnels under the town of Baida near the city of Hama in northern Syria; in the village of Tal Snan, north of a Syrian air force base; and in the city of Sjinsjar on the Syrian border with the Lebanon, south of the city Homs. According to Najoef, the WMD components were transferred to Syria under the personal watch of Bashar Al-Assad and members of his family.