Prime Minister Olmert suggested holding peace talks with Lebanon, now that the negotiations with Damascus are out in the open.
The Lebanese government immediately released a statement rejecting the call.
There are pending bilateral issues between Lebanon and Israel which are governed by international resolutions which Israel must respect… and which cannot be the object of political negotiations.
Israel… must respect Lebanon's sovereignty over its territory and its water, release prisoners and provide maps on mines and cluster bombs, left in Lebanon during past conflicts.
Riemer Brouwer points out an interesting idea.
A friend wanted to add another argument in favor of the idea that Syria is trying to ditch Hezbollah, namely the “new documents” that president Suleiman apparently has received that would provide additional support for the claim that the Shebaa Farms belong to Lebanon. A plausible theory would be that these documents came from Assad. Is this Syria's way to make Hezbollah even more irrelevant?
I doubt Assad's regime is serious when it says it wants peace with Israel. For that to happen President Assad have to abandon asap Khaled Meshal and Hizballah, and indirectly the decades old partnership with Iran. In return Syria would get parts of Golan, and a better relationship with the West. If the bargain includes some sort of control over Lebanon, and a deal over the International Tribunal, it might have a chance. I guess, it all boils down to details.
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