"Head of Brooklyn's Jewish-Syrian community calls on PM to talk to Damascus; Jewish Diaspora press roundup." Just like me, I suggest he move to Israel before telling Israel how to conduct their affairs.

North Korean missile shipment to Syria which was halted when a train collision in that Asian country destroyed the missile cargo and killed about a dozen Syrian technicians? U.S. officials confirmed a report in a Japanese daily newspaper that a train explosion on April 22 2004 killed about a dozen Syrian technicians near the Ryongchon province in North Korea. The officials said the technicians were accompanying a train car full of missile components and other equipment from a facility near the Chinese border to a North Korea port. A U.S. official said North Korean train cargo was also believed to have contained tools for the production of ballistic missiles. North Korea has sold Syria the extended-range Scud C and Scud D missiles, according to reports by Middle East Newsline." Question: is Syria still in business with NK? What did Syria get from that country over the past five years?

Don't you remember? http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3302026,00.html. This is when the Israelies went nuts.

You need to understand that these pepole have an agenda. whcih they can only express when Israel has a weak goverment, and a govement that also has an agend which is diffrent then keeping israel safe, etc. therfore for the Syrina Jewish comunity whos agenda is only that they should be able to claim personal property and money from the syrin goverement they (the syrin jewish comunity) han no right nor ligitimacy to call on the isralei govement to negotiate with a terorist state. the fact of the mater is, that the syrian jews are the smallest group of jews that setlled in israel. rather they moved to the USA

Brooklyn's Syrian Jewish community is a long way from Syria, and Israel. I ask myself, why are they in Brooklyn, and not in Israel? Is it the relative safety here, and economic opportunities? Why are their children not in the Israeli army, since we (US) have no draft? Syria is smugging terrorists and weapons into Iraq, and aiding Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as 5th columnist Arabs in Israel. That's why we (US) are not talking to them at the highest levels. Look Syria wants the Golan Heights back, all of it. They have 700 Scuds aimed at Israel with b/c warheads. Their army is over 600,000 absent the reserves. If not for Syria, terrorism would subside. So what's to talk about? The good intentioned Syria Jewish leader is a fool and naive. His head is in the Syrian sand dunes, I'm afraid. Syria could have gotten the Golan back minus a few dozen feet along that sea. They balked...and did not promise any kind of diplomatic relations. They will not make good neighbors. It's all a ploy, with Jewish lives (including Syrian Jews) at stake. Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, birds of a tarnished feather allied against Israel., and those who would lull us into appeasement.

and shut up. The syrians supply hizbollah with missiles to kill Israelis and those pinheads tell us what to do.

if he trusts them so much

I still remember, in the 1930's , a radio program entitled: "You can't do buisness with Hitler". This is relevant today !

no honest person can expect that Israel will surrender the golan, full of Jewish historical sites and captured in a war of aggression started by syria and its allies. talk to syria by all means. welcome peace with syria. but, give them the golan: never. (especially not in exchange for worthless promises. even, against all the evidence , if one were to assume the best about junior assad, what happens if he is killed or otherwise removed?)

how they treat the minorities there. Assad is a dictator, why negotiate. Not very smart.

here's the correct link http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3302026,00.html

JACK AVITAL IS NOT THAT SMART OF A PERSON IS SEE.

just after the lebanese bury another one of assads murdered victims this moron wants us to talk to him. It becomes more understandable that there were jews during the holocaust holding "talks" with Eichman. Nothing changes for some jews.

Jews could be Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians, Alegerians, Germans, Hungarians, Americans and Iranians. Exactly as any Christian or Mulism can be any of these things. Only Palestinian Jews have the right to be in Palestine, while anybody else, whether s/he is Christian and Muslim can't claim any right in the holy land.

hundred Israeli's in terrorist attacks if we give back the Golan Heights. But you will kill five thousand Israeli's if we don't give back the Golan Heights. I'm glad we had this talk. Everything is perfectly clear now that we have had this chat!" Brooklyn is such a long way from Israel. Maybe the Knesset should operate from there also. Do they sell those emblems, "peace not war," in Brooklyn?

The Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn tends to be politically conservative, supportive of Israel and very pro-American, which makes me question why Jack Avital suddenly feels that anyone, least of all the Israelis, should be talking to a weasel like Bashar Assad. I'm reluctant to accuse him of having an ulterior motive, but now that Syria seems to have its hand in every terrorist pot, why would he want to confer any sort of credibility on that country?

You would be right if you weren't wrong but as you are wrong you can't be right. All Jews are entitled to Israel. As simple as that. Studying - at least the ABC - of history won't harm you. So start with history.

Perhaps You should read the bible. No mention of "Palestianian" Jews, anywhere. Jews were forced to leave Israel, they're are returning just as prophecised, got a problem with that? Talk with G-d He wrote the book the Promise of the Promised Land. Who are You? An expert on nothing?

Mark is right and NYC girl is scared. So is Israel. The langauge describing Assad is pretty normal; its what we used to say about Nasser -who sought a deal in the 1950s, Sadat - who fought a war and got a deal in the 70s, Arafat - who could have delivered a 2 state solution. We also say that the Palestinians today are not our partners in that one adventure we don't want to embark upon, that one word that terrifies us more than any other -p.e.a.c.e. Isn't it we who aren't the partners? Look at what respondents to these columns write whenever that word appears.

Yeah, Syria wants peace with Israel. Syria wants both Israel and Lebanon to go away. Syria needs to perform some actions that prove it wants peace with Israel. So far actions have shown the opposite. Syria needs peace with Israel alot more than Israel needs it with Syria. While it would be nice, it probably wont happen in the next 20 years. Eventually the Alawite minority rule will go away and we will see what the majority of Syrians want. Remember, Israel is eternal. Syria? Made up country with minority rulling majority. It can only last so long. Good news. We Jews are patient people and have outlived all enemies. As for other news in his article, Britain is part of Eurabia and doomed. Most of Eurabia doesnt understand the dangers growing within it.

Scared? Why should I be scared? I'm not the one living in Israel with the Syrians right up my ass, although because my husband's whole family is, I guess I also have a stake in what happens there. But if, somehow, you feel that Assad or the Iranians or Hezbollah, Hamas, Fatah and the rest can be trusted, then fine. Go ahead and negotiate all you want, but don't be surprised if you get the same result you've gotten in the past, especially if you believe that Arafat was willing to settle for a two-state solution.

the birds and the bees? the flower and the trees? in Golan Heights?

You live in incredible comfort in Brooklyn in your McMansions and you want Israel to start the process of handing over the Golan for what?...You still have memories of your glorious Syrian days? If so ...go back to Syria.

do the research- in that area of the world existed arab tribal converts to judaism, before Muhammeds religion existed, as well as samaritans and karaites and exiles from Spain. Those that truly loved Israel went there. the others went elsewhere for they had no choice. You can guess as to which went to Israel and which came to Brooklyn.

to go kiss their ass-ad.

She was giving a speech for one of the Jewish federations, and he jumped on the podium while she was giving a speech and attacked her. Very odd that someone like that would be given any credibilty at all after such an incident.