Israel feels Syrian gesture will help clear air between enemies

Southern Shuneh, Jordan: Israel's president urged Syria on Sunday to open direct peace talks, saying any gesture by the Damascus government would help clear the air between the two arch enemies.

President Shimon Peres, a Nobel Peace Prize winner whose office is largely ceremonial, also told reporters in Jordan that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would abide by agreements signed by his predecessors, including a US-backed Mideast peace plan calling for a two-state solution to the conflict with Palestinians.

Peres said some had suggested Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and Netanyahu meet and start talking directly.

"The Syrians should be ready to talk. If President Al Assad wants peace, why is he shy?" he said after participating in an international economic meeting sponsored by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum. "We suggested many times direct talks," Peres added. "He thinks direct talks are a prize to Israel. It's not a prize. It's normal."

"Right now, I don't think there's anything happening," he said, pointing to Israel's preoccupation with elections that brought right-wing Likud leader Netanyahu to office in March.

"Change the air," he said. "There stands the president and he said he doesn't want to meet. Why? You want us to give back something, but he doesn't suggest to give us back anything," Peres said.

Earlier, the Israeli president met with Jordan's King Abdullah II behind closed doors at the conference. A royal palace statement said King Abdullah urged Peres to assist in efforts to have Netanyahu's government "quickly launch negotiations to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on a two-state solution."