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I heard that you have a very good relationship with Abbas. Is that correct?
Yes. Because we meet quite regularly. More or less twice a month. I don't know of any greater frequency of meetings between leaders of nations.

Is it true that the talks have gone fairly far?
Yes, I think so—far enough to justify the efforts we are making and the desire to continue. Whether it is sufficient is a little bit premature to say.

What can you say about the talks in detail? Do you think Israel would give up settlements, retreat to the pre-'67 borders? How do you see the final outcome of the negotiations?
Well, one can say that the borders, once agreed, will be closer to what they were in '67 than what they are today because we will give up a large part of the territories . . . in the context of full, comprehensive peace and the total end of any hostilities.

Does that mean the Palestinians will give up the right of return?
I don't think they have to give it up. They don't have a right of return, and I don't think that this is on the agenda as far as Israel is concerned.

You said [a Palestinian state] would be closer to the pre-'67 borders. Do you think you can achieve such an agreement?
I think that the distance between us and them is not unbridgeable. I think that there are three issues which can be resolved: One is the territorial issue; the other is security arrangements; and the third is refugees.

Do you want peace with Syria, and do you think it's obtainable with President Bashar al-Assad?
We are very unhappy with the continued intensive involvement of Syria in the affairs of Lebanon and the lack of a democratic process in electing a new president in Lebanon. We are also unhappy with the continued links between Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas. [But] the relations between us and Syria have to be reexamined, [as well as] the possibility of making peace. It's not something that can be done publicly. I don't mind that President Assad made an announcement that there will be negotiations, but the actual negotiations ought to be discussed quietly. In principle, we are ready for it if they are.

In order to have a full peace with Israel, would Syria have to break with Iran? Is such a break possible?
Look, I don't know if this is a possibility or how you can describe it in terms of probabilities. But one thing I know, if I don't check it, I will never find out. I think at the end of the day, this will have to be the choice of Syria.

Have there been direct Israel-Syrian talks, or have they all been conducted via the Turks?
I prefer not to go into these details.

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Member Comments

  • Posted By: Nins @ 05/12/2008 3:11:38 PM



    ThreeNewCandidates, I agree with you when you say that Carter was a good man with high hopes. But I can't agree when you say that he "accomplished nothing" while he was in office. You are 50 years old, so surely you remember how Carter brought peace to the Middle East? And you must remember how very threatening that was to certain factions like the religious right in Iran, who had just overthrown the Shah. They wanted the drama to continue (and they had some legitimate grievances against the US, since we had been controlling Iran through the Shah) so they took American hostages to sabotage the peace, and OPEC jacked the price of oil and turned down the US oil supply for a while, to scare Americans enough not to re-elect Carter. Since you are 50, you must remember standing in line for hours during the 70s, waiting to buy gasoline. Trust me, it will only get worse in the future as the oil supply actually runs out. The party is over, people.

    When will America wake up and rid ourselves of our dependancy on oil?

    If we want to remain the "land of the free" we better start investing in renewable energy, NOW.

    You ask, who would vote for Obama instead of McCain?

    The answer: ANYONE WHO WANTS A STRONG AMERICA, FREE OF OIL DEPENDENCY.

  • Posted By: cadercader @ 05/12/2008 12:11:55 PM

    The sixty-years' -celebration.


    What is there to celebrate ??
    the 6 wars ??
    the 4 million refugees ??
    the 3 million occupied ??
    the 1,5 million abducted-hostages ??
    the 254 km of an Apartheid- Wall ??
    the 562 humiliation- check-points ??
    the 20.000 Political-prisoners ??
    468.831 new settlers on an occupied land ??

    the disappearance of Palestine ??

    the denial of any human-rights ,
    any national-rights
    any historical-rights ,
    any political-rights to the Palestinians ??

    the import of 4 million impostors
    into a stolen land, that was never theirs ??

    60 years of misery ,
    of deprivation and or ethnic-cleansing ??

    what are they celebrating ??
    the event of a one United Nation Resolution
    which was not anyhow binding , which allowed them to stay
    or
    the refusal of about 40 other resolutions
    which were indeed binding ,
    but asking them to leave ??

    what are they celebrating ??
    the massacres of
    Deir Yasssin ,
    Sabra and Chatilla ,
    Jennin and Gaza ??


    Who else but criminals celebrate a crime ??

    60 Years of a constantly revolving crime ,
    is no reason to a celebration
    but rather a reason to be ashamed
    and to repent .

    60 Years ago ,
    we were farmers , teachers, workers ,
    shop-keepers, carpenters , drivers and poets....... ..
    now they made 'Terrorists ' out of us.
    But at least , we the 'terrorist' are fighting against a crime
    while those blue-eyed-Zionists are ,themselves , the crime ,
    that 60 years old Crime !

  • Posted By: Tan Boon Tee @ 05/12/2008 1:59:07 AM


    At 60, one would have supposedly gathered sufficient experience in life to be wise enough to come to terms with it. Yet at 60, Israel is still struggling to find the elusive peace.

    Deliberation after deliberation, mediated-talk after mediated-talk, false-hope after false-hope, there seems to be no end to the conflict. Agreements have been reached and signed, only to be dishonored later each time without fail.

    Like mirage, co-existence appears illusive. Like morning dew, mutual respect looks equally delusive. Ruefully, the outcome of which is the ugly stalemate that remains hard to break through. Now, with the Palestinians splitting into two opposing camps, seeking for any amicable political solution will be even more difficult, though not entirely impossible.

    No one exactly knows how long will the confrontation continue.
    Why not live and let live?

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