Frontier India Current Affairs

Written on May 26, 2008 – 9:56 pm | by FICA |

Last Wednesday, 21 May 2008, a statement was released simultaneously in Damascus, Ankara and Jerusalem about the opening of negotiations for a comprehensive peace between Israel and Syria, under Turkish auspices. The statement referred to a process that began in February 2007 and developed cautiously and gradually, conducted and guided by Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and with the knowledge of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and reached last week’s simultaneous announcement.

Since the announcement, there has been much speculation and commentary. Prime Minister Olmert said “I want to say here and now that we have no intention of conducting these negotiations in the media, nor in daily statements, nor in slogans. Rather, we will conduct serious and responsible negotiations, with all due caution. Israel has experience in negotiating with the Syrian government. In the past, the public knew that negotiations were being held but the sensitive details and intricacies were naturally kept confidential to facilitate the conducting of the negotiations. I can say that we are taking these negotiations seriously. There has been, and will be, very precise and detailed preparations, which are appropriate for the expectations we have of these negotiations, given the current reality, which is different from that of nine or ten years ago, and given the security and diplomatic sensitivities that stem from that reality.”

He also said that “there will be a steering committee, composed of all the relevant bodies, for the conduct of the negotiations. Also in the negotiations that we are holding with the Palestinians, all bodies are involved in every detail. However, this is not to say that these details must be exposed in the headlines on a daily basis. I think that this would be an incorrect procedure and we must be very careful lest this enthusiasm impair our ability to reach significant results on the most fateful questions regarding the future existence of the State of Israel. Naturally, at the beginning of our meeting, I will deliver the necessary details on the development of the issue, and the Cabinet will receive reports as necessary during the process, at all relevant intervals.”