Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert believes negotiations with Syria should be seriously considered "if this would bring an end to its involvement in terrorism and extricate it from the axis of evil." In its Thursday's edition, Haaretz newspaper reported Olmert told at a briefing on the situation in the the Gaza Strip, held earlier this week, that the Syrian leadership is aware of his position.
An official attending the meeting said that the prime minister's comment was "not just words." According to the newspaper, a senior political source in Israel, described Olmert's statement as "another step forward."
Late last year, Olmert added that "no responsible person in Israel would think that negotiations with Syria does not have many advantages for Israel."
