even if it's a trial baloon, God only knows why any sane Israeli leader would embark upon this path at the present moment. But please: if there is something you - our "leaders" want to tell me, do it now, so I'll have time to sell my apartment&car and get the Hell outtahere....

Hope Hoenlein can persuade his fellow Syrians Assad & Moallem for th return of the body the late ELI COHEN,and the missing IDF soldiers and RON ARAD. This will help and surely the Israelis will be more flexible.

The US, Turkey now ordinary US jews want to be champions of the peace process. The only people who are never involved in it are Israelis. That is the only reason why this guy weather they discussed it or not. As for Eli Cohens bones during talks with Barak in 1999 Hafez Assad admitted that nobody knew where Eli Cohen was buried anymore which I can believe. Foreign politicians, jewish humanitatians pleas just BUTT OUT

There is nothing honorable about meeting with dictators and terrorists. This is a disgrace for the American Jewish community.

Now the Jews who immigrated to Palestine from Syria can return home, just take it easy, no need to worry , the Syrian government respects the Jewish religion.... It's not just my opinion, but it's Senior US Jewish leader's opinion : ) wonder why Mr. Hoenlein not visit all Arab and Western countries, he will inevitably come out with a result got that same impression.

he is right, we are not Egypt or Jordan, and we do not care about an indiviuals personal beliefs. We are a secular country and will remain so.

They were swung in the main square of Damascus

While I don't trust Syria as far as you can spit, that doesn't mean you never talk to them. The fact is you may learn something, even by things that are not said. You know there is an old saying about keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer so you'll know when they will stab you in the back (or something like that). But I've found it to be true. I don't believe Hoenlein to be a fool, and do not think he would sell out Israel. So to those of you who say you are ashamed, your wrong. Keeping some lines of communications open is always a smart move, sometimes it pays dividends you will never know about.

didn't cost Israel anything....

With or without Oslo what would be different now? How did Oslo hurt Israel, the Pals failed to keep their word, to me, that was expected. It proves that Israel is right, to not trust the Arabs to keep or honor their word. So what was your point? I don't see Israel giving up the Golan now, or any time in the near to distant future.

after the syrians kicked out all the jews from syria, they celebrate the culture? something is a tad distorted.

You got it wrong. The Syrians did not 'kick out' all the Jews from Syria. You are so determined to hate the Syrians that you have completely twisted history. In fact, as most people of low intelligence know, the Syrians did not want to allow the Jews to leave, and it was only through the interference of a US president that they left. i.e. if you have a gripe against a whole nation, then at least get it right. Furthermore, Jewish property, at least in Damascus, was not expropriated (unlike Palestinian property in Israel). It lies there, empty, with chains across the doors to prevent people squatting in it, and the Syrian government appears to have made no legal moves to gain ownership of abandoned Jewish assets. So different from Israel where the government made every effort to expropriate even occupied Palestinian properties by various legal contortions.

Syria did not really want Jews to get out. They were a hostage population. If Israel did anything that Syria didn't like the Jews were punished. In the 70's a Jewish woman & her children were publicly butchered & mutilated by agents of Assad as a get even with Israel There were numerous other cases of this retribution against innocents. Assad also didn't just attack Jews ask other minorities in Syria. There are a few Jews left in Syria & the current regime treats them fairly. But if things were so good previously why did the majority of Jews leave Syria & leave their possessions there.

Actually, I didn't say things were 'good for Jews in Syria'. I was pointing out to #12 that they were not "kicked out" as he claimed. I was also pointing out that unlike Palestinian property in Israel, Jewish assets in Syria, while not being actively maintained, have not been expropriated or bulldozed.

I realize that I do not know what life is like in Syria but if there are any Jews still living there they are lucky they are tolerated I would pay Syria a lot of money to allow them to leave as for any religious places and so cemetarys that is Syrian business it is Syrian land I do not recognize it as ever having been Israeli land as for the Golen Heights that is another point that is sensitive but I do think Syria should again be compensated for it if Israel continues to occupy the area for military reasons RIGHT ??? Thank You... M. S.

For decades upon decades, Syria's Jews have been on their own facing Assad's regime, subjected to day-to-day terror by the Syrian secret police. They are constantly being monitored, watched, arrested, tortured and often killed. I've personally met Judy Feld Carr, the brave Jewish Canadian woman who for decades courageously rescued hundreds of Syrian Jews by smuggling them out of Syria in very dangerous ways. So don't talk to me about how "respectful" the Syrians are of Jews.