http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/847617.html
Syrian President Bashar Assad greeting U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in
Damascus last week. (AP)
Last update - 09:44 12/04/2007
Negotiator: Damascus genuinely willing to initiate peace talks
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
American-Syrian national Ibrahim Suleiman, who has been involved in unofficial
peace talks between Israel and Syria, told Israeli sources that he intends to
clarify to Israel's government that Damascus is truly interested in initiating
peace negotiations with Israel.
Suleiman will appear before the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
on Thursday, alongside Alon Liel, former director general of the Foreign
Ministry. The two will brief the committee members on the secret, unofficial
talks they conducted, and on the understandings they reached for a peace
agreement between Israel and Syria.
Suleiman, who landed in Israel on Tuesday, will inform the committee of the
extent of his connections with the Syrian regime. He will tell the MKs about
the committee appointed by Syrian President Bashar Assad, which is headed by
one of his army generals, to coordinate the talks with Israel. In addition, he
will relay the messages he received from Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem.
In the hearing, Liel will disclose the content of the reports he allegedly gave
to officials in the Foreign Ministry regarding his progress in the talks. Liel
also reported to various parties in the Prime Minister's Bureau when it was
headed by former prime minister Ariel Sharon.
"There is a genuine willingness in Damascus to initiate peace talks with
Israel, which at the very least requires Israel to test the waters," Suleiman
told Israeli sources during his stay.
Despite Suleiman's interest to meet Israeli officials during his visit, the
Foreign Ministry decided against such a move. The ministry's director general,
Aharon Abramowitz, explained that Suleiman's request had been denied "to avoid
giving a false impression, as though he were engaged in official talks with the
State of Israel." Abramowitz added that, "If Syria wanted to conduct official
talks, it had other avenues available to it."
The Prime Minister's Bureau had similar reservations, as it did when Haaretz
first exposed the existence of the talks in January. By contrast, MK Zahava
Gal-On, who initiated the committee discussion, expressed her hope that after
the MKs will hear what Suleiman has to say, they will realize his immediate
connection to the Syrian leadership. "Some think he doesn't enjoy any sort of
valid status in Damascus. The hearing will give us a chance to examine just
that," she said.
On Wednesday Suleiman visited Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes'
Remembrance Authority, in Jerusalem. Suleiman said he hoped "we will be able to
live together in peace, and put all the killing and incitement behind us,"
adding that "the peoples of the Middle East need to think of the future of
their children and grandchildren."
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