Israeli Leader Warns Against Golan Giveaway

WASHINGTON — Israel's deputy prime minister is warning against the idea of returning the Golan Heights to Syria ahead of high-level meetings here with top Bush administration officials, the semi-annual strategic American-Israeli dialogue.

In an interview with The New York Sun, Shaul Mofaz said he believes the Golan is a "strategic asset" and should not be relinquished to the Syrians, in part because of that country's close alliance with Iran. "The moment that the Golan Heights gets into the Syrians' hands it means Iran will be in the Golan Heights. Close your eyes and think about what kind of threat that is for Israel," he said.

This view diverges from that of his prime minister, Ehud Olmert. On Thursday, the Syrian government confirmed for the first time that Israel had expressed interest in negotiating the return of the Golan. The expatriates minister, Buthaina Shaaban, told Al-Jazeera that the Israeli premier had instructed Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to deliver the message. Later that day, the White House shared with the public for the first time the details of Israel's air raid into Syrian territory that destroyed what American intelligence briefers said was a nuclear weapons facility designed by North Korea.

Mr. Mofaz, a former defense minister, would not discuss the details of last September's raid into Syrian territory.

Mr. Mofaz said he did not expect that Syria could be easily pried away from the Iranian orbit, a "radical group" whose members he said include Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria.

"I believe the United States tried more than twice to bring Syria in," he said. "We saw the deep involvement of the Syrians in the U.S. war in Iraq, they opened their border, they supported the terror groups to move from Syria to Iraq."

America's position toward Syria's isolation has shifted in subtle ways over the last year. Between 2005 and 2007, the Bush administration pursued a policy of regionally isolating Syria after Lebanese protestors and international pressure spurred President Assad to order the withdrawal of his troops from Lebanon.

Then, in November, Syria was invited to a regional conference with Israel in Annapolis, Md., aimed at sparking final status negotiations between Israel and the Fatah government of the West Bank. In 2006, back channel talks between Israel and Syria were discouraged by the White House; now these developments are being quietly encouraged.

The State Department has tried since 2006 to develop scenarios whereby Syria could be enticed to join an alliance of Sunni Arab nations, a bloc against the rising influence of Iran. The concept was muted in the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which recommended America pressure Israel to begin talks on giving back the Golan.

"If the Syrians are serious by asking for peace, let's talk about all the terror activity against us," Mr. Mofaz said. "Let's send out of Damascus all of the headquarters of the Palestinian terror groups, stop support for the Hezbollah. Then we will understand they mean business. To be in this radical group and to be one of its leaders and then say give us the Golan Heights is ridiculous."

Mr. Mofaz did not rule out entirely the prospect of an Israeli-Syrian channel. He said he favored high-level messages and even some discussions. But he was clear that he did not think Israel should agree to give up the Golan Heights as a pre-condition for talking.

Mr. Mofaz said the primary purpose of his talks today with Secretary of State Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley was Iran. "The main purpose of the talks is Iran," he said. "But we must start talking about a new strategy for the radical group for the entire region."