10 October 2006
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria was welcome to come to Jerusalem for peace talks, Israel's deputy prime minister, Shimon Peres, has said.
"If he says 'I want a meeting', I am sure Israel will say 'Very well, let us meet and talk'", Mr Peres said.
President Assad said on Monday that Syria would be prepared to hold talks.
But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert distanced himself from Mr Peres's remarks. The invitation, his spokesman said, was not issued on his behalf.
In his television interview, Mr Peres, referring to Egypt's historic peace treaty with Israel in 1978, said: "Why can't Assad do what others have done? Sadat came here." 'Axis of evil'
Peace talks between Syria and Israel broke down six years ago, after Syria demanded that Israel hand over the Golan Heights, which it has occupied since the 1967 war.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6039076.stmI hope Peres can make this work.
( The 'Axis of evil' near the end of the 5th paragraph is how it appears on the BBC site. It makes no sense in the context of the report.)