Britannia Radio

Monday, November 3, 2008

Likud to US: We won't honor Syria deal

Tovah Lazaroff , THE JERUSALEM POST Nov. 4, 2008

www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1225715331526&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2F

The Likud has issued a clear policy directive against Israeli talks with
Syria to advisers of both presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John
McCain, as well as to representatives of the US State Department.

"If we form the next government we won't be committed to any agreement, or
partial agreement, that was achieved by Kadima during this election period
between Israel and Syria," MK Yuval Steinitz told The Jerusalem Post on
Monday.

Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz said Sunday he would not order the government
to stop negotiating with Syria. On Monday MK Limor Livnat (Likud) filed a
petition to the High Court of Justice against the decision.

Steinitz said the Likud did not believe it was in the best interest of
democracy to bind itself to an agreement with Syria reached by a caretaker
government, such as the one now lead by Kadima.

Steinitz said he delivered this message about Syria last week during a
conversation he had with an Obama adviser.

He said the same thing in talks with officials from the US State Department
who were in Israel, and earlier in October in a conversation with a member
of McCain's staff.

Overall, the Likud's position on Syria has differed from that of Kadima in
that it does not believe that Israel should be conducting negotiations with
Syria until Syria's stance on a number of key issues - such as support for
Hamas and Hizbullah - changes, Steinitz said.

Throughout the US presidential campaign, he said, members of both Obama's
and McCain's staffs have shown interest in the Likud's position on a variety
of issues and have been in contact with him.

Steinitz, who chairs the joint dialogue on defense between the Knesset and
Congress, said he often had an opportunity to speak with politicians in
Washington.

He refused to publicly state support for one candidate or another, saying
rather that it had been important for him to maintain relations with both
candidates

But the Likud is not the only political party that has interested Obama and
McCain as they prepared for the presidency. Both men have visited Israel
this year and met with its top leaders. McCain and Defense Minister Ehud
Barak even appeared at a joint press conference together in Sderot in March.

A spokesman for Barak and for the Foreign Ministry said that maintaining a
relationship with the candidates was important for them; but like Steinitz
would not hint at a preference.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that position papers existed in
preparation for either outcome, but that the ministry had not pre-determined
the outcome. "We're waiting for the victory and concession speeches," he
said.