Syrian president rejects invitation to visit Israel

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 12, 2004

Syrian president rejects invitation to visit Israel

Syrian President Bashar Assad Monday rejected his Israeli counterpart Moshe Katsav's invitation to visit Israel, Israel Radio reported.

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Syrian President Bashar Assad Monday rejected his Israeli counterpart Moshe Katsav's invitation to visit Israel, Israel Radio reported.

The report quoted Syrian Minister of Expatriates Buthaina Shaaban as saying that there was no substance in Katsav's invitation, terming it as "a meaningless statement." There was no doubt that Assad would reject the invitation, said the minister.

She reiterated Syria's demand that talks with Israel be renewed from the point where they were broken off. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office refused to comment on Katsav's invitation, the radio said.

Israel invites Syria for peace talks

Israeli President Moshe Katsav on Monday invited his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad to visit Jerusalem for peace deal talks, Israeli public radio reported.

"I invite President Assad to come to Jerusalem to seriously negotiate with Israeli leaders on the conditions of a peace accord," Katsav said on the radio.

"Mr. Assad will be welcome, but there should be no preconditions," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Sunday night that Israel is ready for peace talks with Syria if the latter stops support for terror agents.

"I believe that what should be done is that Syria should stop the help and support for terrorist agents and if that happens I believe Israel will be ready," Sharon told reporters in Jerusalem.

As Israel's ceremonial leader, Katsav has limited power on the political stage of his country.

"I'm the president of Israel and I have the authority to invite foreign presidents to come to Israel," Katsav said.

There was no immediate reaction from Syria to Katsav's invitation.

The invitation is generally regarded as a response to the olive of Assad, who told the New York Times in early December that he was ready to resume negotiations with Israel. The talks between the two sides broke down in 2000.

As the ball was cast into their hands, many Israeli politicians have urged Prime Minister Sharon to react to Assad's proposals in order to shield off pressure of the international community.

Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said "I think there is the opportunity today to explore possible contacts with Syria."

"They (Syria) need peace with us like they need air to breathe. They need peace much more than we do. So the advantage has now moved completely to our side," the former Prime Minister said.

As a neighboring country of Iraq, Syria had strongly opposed the US-led Iraq war and was warned many times by Bush administration for its disharmonious tune.

Analysts think after the United States won the overwhelming victory in Iraq, Syria is seriously in need of peace with Israel, believed to be a major US protege, as part of efforts to improve outside circumstance and to reconcile with Washington.

Israel, which is still technically at war with Syria, invaded the strategic Golan Heights of the latter in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed it in 1981.

During the negotiations in 2000 with former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, then Israeli Premier Ehud Barak agreed to withdraw almost totally from the Golan Heights, except an arrow strip of land bordering the eastern bank of the Sea of Galilee.

Damascus rejected the proposal and has been demanding the return of all the Golan Heights as part of any potential deal.

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