Syrian Leader Extends Peace Proposal to Israel

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s leader said yesterday he offered a proposal for peace with Israel but also refused to break off ties with Hezbollah and militant Palestinians — a key Israeli demand.President Assad of Syria also said indirect negotiations with Israel were on hold until that country chooses a new prime minister and that direct talks would have to wait until a new American president takes office.Mr. Assad’s comments came after meetings with France’s leader and regional mediators in talks focusing on Mideast peace and Iran’s nuclear program. France hopes that warmer relations with Syria, Iran’s ally, could help the West in its efforts to persuade Iran to curb its nuclear program.Mr. Assad said his proposal for Israel was intended to serve as a basis for direct talks. He said he would wait for a similar document laying out Israel’s positions before any face-to-face talks. So far, negotiations between the two foes have been held indirectly through Turkish mediators.Although Mr. Assad didn’t divulge details of his proposal, the move reflected a desire to break with Syria’s past policies. The quest was given a boost by France’s President Sarkozy, who visited Damascus on Wednesday and yesterday, becoming the first Western leader in several years to come to Syria.Mr. Sarkozy has encouraged face-to-face Syria-Israel negotiations and offered to sponsor such talks in the future. The French president has been trying to forge better relations with both Syria and Libya, a longtime international pariah that has significantly improved ties with the West.Messrs. Assad and Sarkozy were joined yesterday in a four-way summit by Turkey’s prime minister and the leader of Qatar, a key broker in inter-Arab disputes, to discuss Mideast stability and peace.Washington made clear it expects more from Syria before any warming of ties. “Overall what we’d like to see out of Syria is for it to play a much more productive role in the region. It hasn’t until now. We’d like to see it not meddle in the affairs of the sovereign government of Lebanon,” a spokesman for the State Department, Robert Wood, said. He said America “would like to see” Syria reach a peace with Israel and establish diplomatic relations.In an interview with French television, Mr. Assad ruled out any recognition of Israel before a peace deal. But “when there is a peace accord, of course there will be reciprocal recognition. This is natural,” he said.Syria and Israel have held four rounds of indirect talks through Turkish mediation in the last year.

Syrian Leader Extends Peace Proposal to Israel

Syrian Leader Extends Peace Proposal to Israel

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