Syria reportedly offered to let Israelis living on the Golan Heights remain should it recover the territory. “In Syria there are many minorities — Christians, Armenians, Kurds,” Syria’s ambassador to Britain, Sami Khiyami, was quoted by Ma’ariv on Tuesday as telling a conference in London. “There would be no problem with Israelis being there too.” The remarks appeared to signal an enhancement of recent Syrian peace overtures toward Israel. Syria conditions talks on a complete return of the Golan, which Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed. Damascus did not immediately confirm Khiyami’s comments. Israel has said it is interested in new negotiations, but without preconditions. Some 20,000 Israelis live on the Golan.
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