Ehud Barak
Photo: AP
Bashar Assad
Photo: AFP
Barak: Negotiations with Syria central Israeli policy goal
'Israel is the most powerful country in the region, and this is what will ultimately allow it to strive to attain peace agreements,' defense minister tells foreign ambassadors. 'We hope Syria will abandon cycle of extremism,' he adds
"One of Israel's central policy goals is to launch peace negotiations with Syria and to see Damascus abandon the cycle of extremism," Defense Minster Ehud Barak told 50 foreign ambassadors at the Labor Party's headquarters in Tel Aviv on Friday.
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"We are following the developments in the North, including the strengthening of Hizbullah with Syria's backing and the goings on beyond the Syrian border," he told the envoys, "Israel is the most powerful country in the region, and this is what will ultimately allow it to strive to attain (peace) agreements."
The defense minister continued to say that Israel is facing numerous security-related challenges, including Islamist extremism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region.
"We consider Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Fatah as partners for peace," Barak stated, "but two sides are needed to achieve peace."
'Israel not interested in peace'
During the course of the week Barak is scheduled to meet with 27 ambassadors from European Union countries.
Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar Assad told the Arab League summit in Damascus on Saturday that "we accepted the Arab peace initiative in 2002, but Israel responded by invading the West Bank and killing women and children… (Israel) has built more and more settlements as well as the racist separation fence, pushing the region to extremes.
"Israel has proven, every chance it got, that is not interested in peace; and has done so in front of the whole world," he added. "The world is doing nothing, all for the sake of 'Israel's safety'. We must stress – no security can be guaranteed unless through peace… and peace will come only after (Israel) withdraws from occupied Arab lands."
