An Israeli delegation will hold talks in Washington this week focusing on Iran and Syria, including talks with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, an Israeli official said on Monday.
The delegation will be led by Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz, a former defense minister and army chief, his spokeswoman told AFP. He is set to meet Rice ahead of "strategic discussions on Thursday with the Americans notably focusing on the Iranian problem," she said.
Mofaz will also seek to "verify what Syria's objectives would be in eventual peace talks with Israel."
According to Israel's mass-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper, Mofaz believes that "the time has come to launch a secret channel with Syria" in order to defuse growing tensions in the region.
According to the newspaper, Mofaz, along with other senior Israeli officials, has been alarmed at Syrian military reinforcements along the border with Israel and the expected purchase of advanced missiles from Iran.
