Syrian President Bashar Assad would not back down on demanding that Israel withdraw from the north-eastern shore of Lake Tiberius, reported Haaretz newspaper, quoting Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlas as saying in a recent interview.
Tlas, speaking to al-Ahram daily, said "President Bashar cannot concede something that his father insisted on for his whole life. The east bank of the lake is ours, and the same is true of the ground and the fish. Regarding the water, its source is after all in Syrian soil, from whence it comes. We need the shore for tourism and fishing, and most of all, for national honor."
But he added "if Israel is serious about peace, then we are willing to negotiate." - Albawaba.com
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