Assad sees the possibility of a peace deal with Israel if it ends its conflict with the Palestinians. “There will perhaps be an embassy and formalities, but if you want peace then it has to be comprehensive,” Al-Assad was quoted as saying in the United Arab Emirates daily Al-Khaleej. He explained what he envisions in a peace deal. “We give them the choice between comprehensive peace and a peace agreement which does not have any real value on the ground,” he said.. “There is a difference between a peace agreement and peace itself. A peace agreement is a piece of paper you sign. This does not mean trade and normal relations, or borders, or otherwise.” “Our people will not accept that, especially since there are half a million Palestinians in our country whose position remains unresolved. It is impossible under these terms to have peace in the natural sense.” Syria and Israel held indirect talks last year under Turkish mediation. Talks focused on the Golan Heights which Israel captured in a 1967 Middle East war and on Syria's relationship with Iran, Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah group. Syria is demanding that Israel commits to a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Golan. The indirect talks, put on hold due to the resignation of the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in September, were disrupted further after the recent Israeli war in Gaza. In the comments published Monday, Al-Assad also urged the Palestinians to coordinate with Damascus in their peace negotiations with Israel. “We believe that once Israel has signed a peace deal with Syria, it will simply eliminate the Palestinian question sooner or later,” Assad told the United Arab Emirates daily Al-Khaleej. “Therefore, it is in the interest of the Palestinian negotiators to coordinate with Syria. Otherwise, we cannot help them.” US Senator John Kerry, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said after a meeting with Assad in Damascus last month that Syria was prepared to resume the talks but wanted US participation.
