Tel Aviv - Israeli caretaker prime minister Ehud Olmert
wants to start direct negotiations with Syria by January, an Israeli
newspaper reported Friday.
Olmert wants to upgrade the talks despite internal criticism by
members of both the opposition and coalition, who say he lacks the
legitimacy to negotiate during his final months in office.
The Israeli leader resigned in September to fight corruption
allegations and heads a transitional cabinet, which will be in power
until a new government is formed after February 10.
Hosting EU ambassadors for lunch at a Tel Aviv hotel Thursday,
Olmert said he would continue his attempts to advance the
negotiations with both the Palestinians and Syria, Yediot Ahronot
reported.
He said Israeli and Syrian representatives would hold a new round
of indirect talks in Turkey in the coming days. He told the
ambassadors that in his estimation the sides could move from indirect
to direct talks already by January, the daily said. Syria has thus
far repeatedly rejected direct talks.
Olmert also said he was to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas on Monday.
The hardline opposition Likud party has tried to block his efforts
to continue or step up any peace negotiations by proposing a law
making it illegal for transitional governments to offer binding
concessions, and even by appealing to the supreme court.
But also Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, elected earlier this autumn
to replace him as leader of his centrist Kadima party, and Defence
Minister Ehud Barak, of the coalition Labour Party, have openly
protested.
Livni's aides criticized statements Olmert made to the Israeli
Knesset (parliament) earlier this week, saying Israel should withdraw
from the occupied Golan Heights and cede parts of Jerusalem. They
said the statements embarrassed Livni, who is trying to garner broad
support for Kadima from both the centre-left and centre-right ahead
of the elections. Livni also gives priority to the talks with the
Palestinians over those with Syria.
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