Olmert Willing to Return Golan for Peace with Syria

[Ehud]

A recent flurry of secret messages from Israel to Syria signaled Israel's willingness to give up the Golan Heights in return for a peace agreement, Yediot Ahronot reported Friday.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sent messages with German and Turkish diplomats to Syrian President Bashar Assad indicating that Israel was willing to hold direct peace negotiations and give up the Golan, according to the report in Yediot, quoting officials close to Olmert.

According to Yediot, Olmert repeatedly said he would be prepared to negotiate with Syria only if Assad's regime cut ties with Iran and Hizbullah and ceased its support for terror.

Syria did not respond to Olmert's messages, the report said.

US President George Bush gave Olmert the green light for negotiations with Syria in an hourlong phone conversation last month, according to the report, and the two leaders will further discuss the possibility of talks during their scheduled meeting at the White House on June 19.

No response to the report was immediately available from Olmert's office.

Meanwhile, a joint Ma'ariv TNS poll showed that only 10% of Israelis supported a full withdrawal from the Golan, 40% were in favor of a partial withdrawal and 44% were opposed to any withdrawal. The poll also showed that despite recent peace overtures from Damascus, 74% of Israelis did not trust Assad.



So, what do all you think about this?  I'm against any withdrawal because I don't think Syria can be trusted to cut ties with Iran and terrorism.  Even if they claim they will do so, they will eventually revert back to supporting terrorism, and we'll be without the Golan heights as a defensive measure.  Syria isn't even a worthwhile partner to make any agreements.  We were promised by the U.N. and Lebanon that they would rein in Hezbullah, and they're bringing in weapons by the truckload from Syria and preparing for the next war.

[ASHISH]

My thought is israel should nuke all arab and muslim countries while they can because time is running out.Iran is creating nukes there is a rumor that saudi arabia is also creating nukes with the help of pakistan and pakis are creating 3500km missle that can hit israel

[The hawk strikes again]

The way I see it, The Golan is (beyond the Holiness of "Eretz Yisrael") the Israeli Sudetenland.
We face the same situation as Czechoslovakia in 1938.
Strategically speaking, handing that strip of land to Nazi heirs would eventually meen national suicide.
Israel can't defend itself from that sort of position, merely because of topographic reasons, since the Quasi-Nazi State of Syria would then have the advantage of attacking from elevated positions.

[TheCoon]

I would say Olmert should die of a stroke, but I know someone equally evil would replace him.

[The hawk strikes again]

I would say Olmert should die of a stroke, but I know someone equally evil would replace him.

Equally stupid and doped up with "peace" mushrooms.

[Dr. Dan]

Considering Israel traded Sinai to Egypt for peace and something else to Jordan for peace, it woudl only be logical to give the Golan for peace with Syria.

But who needs peace with Syria?  Come on a wake up the coffee...there is no such thing for true peace between Muslims and Israel...I say wake up and smell the coffee and stop being so delusional!

[DownwithIslam]

The best thing Olmert can do for Israel is leave and join his son in Paris. I hope he dies of cancer.

[DownwithIslam]

That was a good one Yacov. It would cost the Israeli taxpayers more though. Providing nutrition to a big piece of excrement like Sharon isn't cheap.

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

Give me a damn break here. Olmert is a worm, but he is only in office because the Israeli public supports him. Did the Iranian public allow the shah to remain in office? Hell no. If Israelis cared about this, Olmert would be swaying from a noose in the town square of Tel Aviv this instant.

What is infinitely more galling to me than the fact that Gayhud wants to surrender such a critical area of land is the fact that 50% of Israelis, by that poll, want to surrender it as well. For that matter, more Israelis support the Gaza/northern Samaria handover now, two years later and after countless Kassam missile deaths caused by Gazan Arab Nazis, than when it actually happened.

Quite frankly, 90% of Israelis don't deserve selfless, life-sacrificing heroes like Rabbi Kahane and Chaim. They're just like the Israelites of the Tanach who put their prophets to death because they enjoyed immorality, idol-worship and in general aping all of the ways of their proto-Arab Nazi neighbors.