Furor after Syrians confirm that Olmert offered entire Golan for "peace" Syria c

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Furor after Syrians confirm that Olmert offered entire Golan for "peace"
By Israel Insider staff  April 23, 2008

Syria confirmed Wednesday that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had relayed messages to Damascus via Turkey that he would be willing to give up the entire Golan for "peace." "Olmert is prepared for peace with Syria according to international conditions and in exchange for a full withdrawal for the Golan," Syrian Immigration Minister Butayna Sha'aban told al-Jazeera. Moments before, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said that if Israel is serious, nothing will stop the renewal of peace talks.

"If Israel is seriously committed to withdrawing to the June 4 lines and is interested in peace, there is noting preventing a renewal of negotiations," said Moallem, insisting that peace talks "must not negatively influence the peace process with the Palestinians."

He said the peace negotiations should not be exploited to tighten the blockade on Gaza or, in his words, to "continue attacks" against Palestinians in Gaza.

Following the reports of Olmert's offer, the Knesset House Committee decided to convene after the parliament's spring recess to advance a bill requiring approval of a national referendum before any concessions can be made to Syria on the Golan.

The bill, originally sponsored by former MK Avigdor Yitzhaki, a member of Olmert's own Kadima party, has already passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum.

"We have to prevent political theft that would result in surrendering the Golan," House Committee chairman David Tal said. "Withdrawing from the Golan would result in Hizbullah terrorists entering the area and embittering the lives of the residents of northern Israel."

Right-wing MKs slammed Olmert, who is vacationing with his family in -- is it cynicism or irony -- the Golan. The opposition started gathering signatures Wednesday to force Olmert to cut his vacation short and attend a special Knesset session on the Syrian issue during the recess.

National Union-National Religious Party MK Effi Eitam, a resident of the Golan, challenged Olmert to speak to residents and tourists in the area while he is on vacation so he could hear what they think about his proposal to abandon the Golan.

"The people of Israel are with the Golan, and they will not let him return it to Syria," Eitam said. "Olmert is abandoning the security of Israel in an attempt to present voters with some kind of diplomatic achievement and for that, he is willing to concede our rights to security on the northern border, which we have enjoyed for more than 40 years."

Another Kadima colleague of Olmert, Ze'ev Elkin, said that "unfortunately the prime minister, as usual, is playing games with the Israeli public and the international community by releasing trial balloons and scattering promises that he cannot keep."

Elkin, one of Olmert's toughest critics inside Kadima, said "just like he did when he spoke of dividing Jerusalem, a haphazard withdrawal from the Golan is also something the PM doesn't have support for, neither in the Knesset nor in his party."

"It's very unfortunate that Olmert is raising expectations and the State of Israel will have to pay a heavy price in years to come, that will harm its security and not bring peace," Elkin added.

Yossi Beilin of the far-left Meretz party said that he hoped that the story as published was correct and called upon Olmert "to take advantage of the opportunity and conduct quick and intensive negotiations with the Syrians according to the guidelines of an agreement that was already reached between Ehud Barak and Hafez Assad in Shepherdstown, Virginia."

Nissim Ze'ev, a MK of Olmert coalition partner Shas , also demanded that the issue be raised in both the cabinet and the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "It is neither responsible nor serious for Olmert to talk to Syria without updating the government," Ze'ev said, adding that Olmert "needs to tell the government what he is offering Syria and how he will guarantee that Syria would not attack Israel form the Golan with missiles and tanks."

Shas officials declined to speculate about whether party chairman Eli Yishai would threaten to bring down the government over the Olmert proposal to give up the Golan.

Several days ago Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed that Israeli-Syrian talks were taking place through a third party, but seemed not to attach special significance to the contacts. "This is not a new thing, we have been talking in the past as well," Assad said. Syria insists that any negotiations with Israel be made public and opposes contacts in secret channels.

Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Spokesman Mark Regev said the Prime Minister's Office did not generally comment on reports published by the media, and referred the Israeli public to interviews Olmert gave the Hebrew press over the weekend.

In a weekend interview to Yediot Aharonot, Olmert was asked whether he was willing to stand by the "deposit" given by former prime ministers Rabin, Peres, Netanyahu and Barak to Assad and to his father Hafez Assad before him, that Israel would eventually withdraw from most or all of the Heights in return for peace.

"What I can say is that I'm very interested in peace with the Syrians, I'm working on it and I hope my efforts will ripen into significant progress. I promise that in issues between us and Syria, they know what I want from them and I know well what they want from us," Olmert said.