Monday, January 12, 2004
Israel Held Secret Talks With Syria
Shalom said Sunday that Israel had secret meetings seven or eight months ago with people "very close" to Assad.
"Unfortunately, after two meetings that the Israeli partners had with their Syrian colleagues, it leaked out. And while it was exposed, of course the Syrians didn't continue to negotiate through this track," he said.
Shalom said he had requested an investigation into the leaks, which he said have severely damaged Israel's ability to negotiate with its Arab neighbors...
Back channel talks with other unidentified Arab countries are continuing, Shalom added. His comments followed reports that Israel had held secret meetings with Libya.
"I don't see how we can continue to deal or to contact or to negotiate with our Arab neighbors while they are not sure that these contacts won't remain in secret," Shalom said...
Why is it so imperitive for negotiations with the Arabs to remain secret? Because how can an Arab government like Syria's admit they're negotiating with people on the one hand, while on the other hand they tell their population that same people use the blood of gentiles to bake their matzah? A government that's sincere about peace would provide leadership and start preparing its population for what's to come. That's why there will never be peace in the region until a whole string of these governments go into the trash.
