Today's Situation

OLMERT'S OFFER , June 08, 2007

While Haaretz focuses on the growing legal row between Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, Maariv, Yedioth Ahronoth and The Jerusalem Post all turn their attention to the ongoing Syrian issue.

According to the lead in Yedioth Ahronoth -which is also the top story in Friday morning's radio bulletins -Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Syrian President Bashar Assad in the past month that he would be willing to withdraw from the Golan Heights if Syria were prepared to make peace with Israel. According to the report, the Syrian leader responded positively to the offer, the newspaper stated.

The report adds that Olmert instructed his aides to make contact with Assad in the aftermath of an hour-long phone conversation with U.S. President George W. Bush last month. The President reportedly gave his go-ahead for the contacts despite the stated American policy that dissuades Israel from dealing with Syria so long as it supports terrorism.

Olmert then secretly conveyed several messages to Assad via mutual allies Germany and Turkey. 'I am your partner for making peace between our countries,' Yedioth quoted Olmert as informing Assad. 'I know that a peace agreement with Syria requires me to return the Golan Heights to Syrian sovereignty. I am willing to fulfill my part in this deal for the sake of peace between us. I would like to hear from you whether, in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, Syria would be willing to fulfill its part: To gradually dissolve its alliances with Iran, Hezbollah and the Palestinian terror organizations, and to stop financing and encouraging terror.'

On Friday, however, Israel Radio carried a report which appeared to contradict to Olmert's reported overture to Assad. A senior diplomat in Syria's London Embassy said Damascus had not received any invitation to start negotiations for peace with Israel, either from the United States or from any other party, the radio reported, quoting Qatari newspaper Al Sharq.

The Jerusalem Post, meanwhile, quotes a senior Western diplomat based in Israel that a peace agreement with Syria could pull Damascus out of Iran’s orbit. 'We can break Syria away from Iran,' the official said, adding that what was needed in Israel was the 'political will and courage' to negotiate with Damascus over the return of the Golan Heights.

Reacting to the news of Olmert's attempts to start talks with Syria, rightist MK Effie Eitam told Arutz 7 radio on Friday that 'the Olmert government, which failed in Lebanon, is now doing what failed regimes have done throughout history: in an attempt to cover up its responsibility for the failure, it embarks on a dangerous political adventure.'

Eitam, himself a resident of the Golan Heights, said that a majority of Israel's citizens and Knesset Members oppose backing down from the Golan. 'The Golan's residents are certain that the nation's citizens will defend the Golan and will prevent the failed government from gambling on their security and future.

Ynet, the website of Yedioth Ahronoth, reports that MK Yisrael Katz (Likud) said Friday morning that Israel was better off replacing Olmert than ceding the Golan Heights. 'Olmert's willingness to give up the Golan stems from the weak position the State of Israel is in following his failures in the Second Lebanon War, and losing Israel's deterrence. Olmert's leadership has become a strategic burden. Therefore, to return the power of deterrence that Israel once had we must replace Olmert. President Assad must know that the majority in the Knesset and of the Israeli public object to Israel giving up the Golan,' he added.

On Army Radio, Likud Knesset faction whip Gideon Sa'ar called on Yisrael Beiteinu and Shas to resign from the government immediately. 'Olmert has no legitimacy from the public for a withdrawal from the Golan Heights, and his administration is a danger to Israel’s security,' he said. 'Steps being taken far from the public eye which may be difficult to stop, and the responsibility lies with all of the cabinet members.'

Also on Army Radio, Ahmad Tibi of the United Arab List-Ta’al party said Friday that 'the price tag for a viable peace agreement with Syria is a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights. The negotiations must be renewed immediately,' he said.

Meanwhile, a poll in Maariv showed that an overwhelming majority of the Israeli public -some 84 percent –opposes handing over the entire Golan Heights to Syria. However, these 84 percent are divided into two groups: one, with 44 percent opposes any Israeli withdrawal. The remaining 40 percent support a partial withdrawal. Some 74 percent of those surveyed said they do not believe Syrian President Bashar Assad when he says he wants peace.

Another poll, this time of Arabs in the PA, shows that support of rocket attacks against Israel has dropped to 51 percent, according to the Near East Consulting survey. Sixty-six percent of the respondents believe the Qassam attacks bring no benefit to their cause. The survey was taken after Israel halted its policy of restraint and began retaliating against terrorists, who fired more than 300 rockets on Israel since May.

In the meantime, two rockets were fired at Israel on Thursday night. The rockets missed their intended victims and landed in open areas near the southern town of Sderot.

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