Olmert wants direct talks with Syria by January: newspaper

Nov 14, 2008, 9:42 GMT

Tel Aviv - Israeli caretaker prime minister Ehud Olmert wants to start direct negotiations with Syria by January, an Israeli newspaper reported Friday.

Olmert wants to upgrade the talks despite internal criticism by members of both the opposition and coalition, who say he lacks the legitimacy to negotiate during his final months in office.

The Israeli leader resigned in September to fight corruption allegations and heads a transitional cabinet, which will be in power until a new government is formed after February 10.

Hosting EU ambassadors for lunch at a Tel Aviv hotel Thursday, Olmert said he would continue his attempts to advance the negotiations with both the Palestinians and Syria, Yediot Ahronot reported.

He said Israeli and Syrian representatives would hold a new round of indirect talks in Turkey in the coming days. He told the ambassadors that in his estimation the sides could move from indirect to direct talks already by January, the daily said. Syria has thus far repeatedly rejected direct talks.

Olmert also said he was to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday.

The hardline opposition Likud party has tried to block his efforts to continue or step up any peace negotiations by proposing a law making it illegal for transitional governments to offer binding concessions, and even by appealing to the supreme court.

But also Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, elected earlier this autumn to replace him as leader of his centrist Kadima party, and Defence Minister Ehud Barak, of the coalition Labour Party, have openly protested.

Livni's aides criticized statements Olmert made to the Israeli Knesset (parliament) earlier this week, saying Israel should withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights and cede parts of Jerusalem. They said the statements embarrassed Livni, who is trying to garner broad support for Kadima from both the centre-left and centre-right ahead of the elections. Livni also gives priority to the talks with the Palestinians over those with Syria.