Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the weekly cabinet meeting Sunday that his country demands that Syria "disarm all terror groups operating out of its territories before Israel will enter into talks with it".
Sharon added that this condition is similar to Israel's demand on the Palestinians to do the same.
In spite of Israel's "burning desire for peace," the Israeli leader said, "Syria must first stop supporting terror."
"We continue to track what [Syrian President] Assad is saying and also, more importantly, what he does," an official in Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office said during the weekend.
"As things stand now, since Assad is doing the opposite of what he is saying, it does not appear the time [for peace negotiations] has come. Should his behavior change, there will be readiness to talk on our part." (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
