Olmert open to Syria talks

Ehud Olmert said he was open to renewing Israeli-Syrian peace talks. Asked in a Time magazine interview whether he could respond to recent peace overtures from Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Israeli prime minister said,”Why not? I wouldn’t say no. I never say no.”Olmert said that before talking directly to Damascus, Israel would want to know what the framework of a possible peace accord would be. “We [must] be certain that when we talk about negotiations for peace with Syria, that what we have in mind and what they have in mind is broadly the same,” he said. “I don’t rule out negotiations with Syria. It just needs to be done in a manner that will guarantee that we can move forward rather than get stuck almost in the beginning.”Israel has previously ruled out negotiations while Syria continues sponsoring Palestinian and Lebanese terrorist groups. It has also balked at Syria’s demand for a full return of the Golan Heights.