[Maariv-Hebrew] Ben Caspit and Avishai Ben-Haim - While Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Syrian President Bashar Assad continue to signal to one another their intention to reach a peace agreement at the center of which is an Israeli concession of the Golan Heights, President Shimon Peres expressed in a closed meeting a strongly opposing position: Under present circumstances Israel must not withdraw from the Golan Heights and reach an agreement with Assad. "Assad prefers Lebanon and the connection with Hizbullah over the Golan Heights," Peres said. One of the president's advisors who was present at the meeting said Peres greatly doubts if the Syrian president wants peace and that Assad faces a choice of cutting himself from Iran, to which he is connected. According to Peres, the Golan must not be given to Iran's neighbor and Assad wants to continue to assist Hamas and Hizbullah.
2008-04-25 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive