Like other Arab leaders including PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), Syria President Bashar al-Assad, who recently began portraying himself as a peace-maker in the region, told Arab leaders that if peace efforts are not met with a commensurate response, violence will be used to achieve Damascus� goals. Actually, Assad recently stated that �one way or another,� Syria would regain control of the Golan Heights.

He told an Islamic conference that �Israel was illegally created on occupied lands� and Jerusalem and the administration of Binyamin Netanyahu continues along the very same lines. In his reference to Israel as a keynote speaker, he stated �They are not peace partners�.

�First of all, let Israel return all occupied lands. If Israel refuses, the justifiable resistance will continue� stated Assad.

Assad basically dismissed any chance of renewed talks with Jerusalem in the near future after Turkish-mediated talks with the previous Israeli administration ended with the launching of Operation Cast Lead, the IDF�s counter-terrorism military offensive in Gaza.

�Netanyahu�s government is the most radical in Israel�s history. It represents a stumbling block to peace� he added, stating the mediated talks with the Olmert administration proved Israel simply is not genuinely interested in peace with her neighbors.

A number of hours earlier, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem echoed the very same words, stating Israel is not interested in true peace, insisting talks cannot be renewed prior to Israel�s total and unconditional withdrawal from the entire Golan Heights.

Moallem added that any formula for renewed talks with Israel will demand the involvement of the United States.

(Yechiel Spira � YWN Israel)�