Israeli PM hopes for dialogue with Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday expressed his hope that Israel could hold talks with Syria if Damascus ends its support for Palestinian governing Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Iran.

The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting of lawmakers from his Kadima party.

Olmert told the lawmakers that if Syria were to stop supporting violence and terror -- particularly Iran, Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah -- there was "no doubt" that Israel could begin negotiations with Damascus.

Meanwhile, Olmert advised Syrian President Bashar Assad not to make bombastic declarations and instead "take the real steps that we all want", local daily the Jerusalem Post reported on its website.

Syria has recently offered to resume negotiations with Israel, but Olmert has repeatedly expressed his opposition on starting talks with Syria, citing its support for Hamas, Hezbollah and other militant groups.

Olmert told the cabinet last week that now is not the time to embark on negotiations with Damascus, given that U.S. President George W. Bush is demanding Assad "stop instigating war."

Regarding his meeting with the Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday, Olmert said he believed the meeting would lead to more meetings.

Although it would not guarantee peace and security, at least Israel would maintain a diplomatic horizon, he added.

On Saturday night, Abbas and Olmert met in Jerusalem, the first such meeting since Palestinian militants kidnapped an Israeli soldier in June, and agreed to take a series of concrete steps to improve the Israeli-Palestinian situation.

Source: Xinhua