RAMAT GAN, Israel, May 21 (UPI) -- Washington does not object to Israeli-Syrian peace talks, according to the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Syrian President Bashar Assad has repeatedly called for talks while Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has refused. And according to the daily Haaretz, when Israel raised the matter with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the government was told: Don't even think about it.
Ambassador Richard Jones was asked about it during a conference at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan. Do the Americans and Israelis differ on Syria? Does the United States stop Israel from starting peace discussions with Syria? Jones quoted two questions submitted in writing.
"Israel does not engage with Syria because Israel doesn't trust Syria any more than the United States does," he said.
"I've never heard ... any American official tell an Israeli official not to pursue its own interests," he added.
Israel and the United States have agreed not to surprise one another, and Jones said he was sure that if Israel would decide to talk to Syria, "They'll tell us about it and we'll talk."
Israel refuses to talk to Syria, fearing Assad wants a process of negotiations to ease international pressure on his regime and that he is not interested in peace.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev noted that of all the Arab League members, Syria alone has a strategic alliance with Iran and formal collaborative relations with Hezbollah.
Haaretz noted that the incumbent head of the Mossad opposed talks with Syria while the previous and incumbent military intelligence directors were for it.
