Israel and Syria Admit the Start of Formal Peace Talks in Istanbul

Israel and Syria announced yesterday they have begun indirect talks to reach a "comprehensive peace" in the first formal negotiations between the two mutual enemies for eight years.

Israeli and Syrian officials have been in Istanbul since Monday, holding meetings with Turkish officials who have shuttled between both sides. Officials said the process began after the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, visited Turkey in February.

"The two sides stated their intention to conduct these talks in good faith and with an open mind," said Olmert's office. "They decided to pursue the dialogue between them in a serious and continuous way, in order to achieve the goal of comprehensive peace in accordance with the Madrid Conference terms of reference for peace."

It is not clear how much has been agreed, but Israel has said it wants Syria to cut ties to Islamist groups such as Hizbullah and Hamas, while Syria wants the return of sovereignty over the Golan Heights, captured by Israel during the 1967 war.

Israel is represented by two of Olmert's top aides, Yoram Turbowitz, his chief of staff, and Shalom Turgeman, his foreign policy adviser, according to the Israeli press. The Syrian team was led by Riad Daoudi, a foreign ministry adviser.

The announcement met with criticism in Israel. "Syria is still the foundation of the axis of evil, and I'm not sure it's appropriate to transfer Israel's northern front to the axis of evil," said Eli Yishai, the deputy prime minister and head of the religious Shas party.

"I don't see a place for negotiations, and certainly not to forfeit our security into Hizbullah's hands. I assume we're talking about futile talks," he said.

His words reflect how much of a shift in Israeli government policy these talks represent. Since he was elected more than two years ago, Olmert has ruled out talks with Syria and it was only in September last year that the Israeli military bombed a site in Syria which US intelligence later claimed was a North Korean-built nuclear facility. In addition, the US was also seen as opposed to any Israeli-Syrian negotiations, although that position has now softened: Condoleezza Rice recently said Washington would not stand in the way of talks between the two countries.

There have been some sources close to the Israeli government who have been pushing for talks, arguing that there is a better chance of Israel making peace with Syria than with the Palestinians.

In 2006, it emerged that secret talks had been held for two years between Israeli and Syrian officials, producing a draft paper proposing a peace agreement under which Israel would return sovereignty of the Golan Heights and withdraw its 18,000 Jewish settlers. Syria, in return, was to halt support for Hizbullah and Hamas and break its alliance with Iran.

Several rightwing Israeli MPs said they believed Olmert was trying to divert attention from the flagging peace talks with the Palestinians and the fifth corruption investigation against him.