Peres: No Golan handover

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Published: 03/23/2008

Israel will not give up the Golan Heights as long as Syria is aligned with Iran, Shimon Peres said.

"Israel will never agree to return the Golan Heights, only to get, in return, Iranian-Syrian control over Lebanon," the Israeli president was quoted as telling visiting U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday.

"Syria is an Iranian satellite, and there is no way of getting peace talks going while Syria is transferring weapons to Lebanon."

Since the 2006 Second Lebanon War, both Israel and Syria have tentatively spoken about resuming peace negotiations. But Israel has balked at the Syrian precondition that the Golan be returned in full, and wants assurances that Damascus will first sever ties with Iran and Palestinian terrorist groups.

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