Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Israel has called on Lebanon to open direct peace talks between the two sides, the prime minister's spokesman said Wednesday.
The appeal comes after Israel agreed to a truce with the Hamas leaders who control Gaza.
"Israel wants peace with Lebanon. We are currently negotiating with the Syrians and with the Palestinians, and there is no logical reason whatsoever why we can't negotiate with the Lebanese," spokesman Mark Regev said.
Regev said Israel "is interested in direct bilateral talks where every issue of contention will be on the table."
This comment came as Israel and its longtime foe Syria hold indirect peace talks in Turkey.
Israel has never had formal diplomatic relations with Lebanon. It fought a war in Lebanon two years ago against the militant Shiite group Hezbollah, and another during the 1980s against Palestinian militants based there.
Israel has formal diplomatic relations with two other nations on its border, Egypt and Jordan.
As for Israel's relations with the Palestinians, it has been engaged in peace efforts with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah movement.
The truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas leaders is scheduled to take effect Thursday morning and last for six months, Hamas officials said.
Hamas leaders said Tuesday that they had reached a truce with Israel -- to take effect at 6 a.m. Thursday -- but Israel did not confirm the deal until Wednesday morning.
Militants in Hamas-controlled Gaza have pummeled Israel with thousands of rocket and mortar attacks, prompting Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territory.
"We are hopeful that this will lead to a cessation of the daily rocket fire from (the) Gaza strip that Israelis have endured for so long," said David Baker, a spokesman for the Israeli government.
The appeal comes after Israel agreed to a truce with the Hamas leaders who control Gaza.
"Israel wants peace with Lebanon. We are currently negotiating with the Syrians and with the Palestinians, and there is no logical reason whatsoever why we can't negotiate with the Lebanese," spokesman Mark Regev said.
Regev said Israel "is interested in direct bilateral talks where every issue of contention will be on the table."
This comment came as Israel and its longtime foe Syria hold indirect peace talks in Turkey.
Israel has never had formal diplomatic relations with Lebanon. It fought a war in Lebanon two years ago against the militant Shiite group Hezbollah, and another during the 1980s against Palestinian militants based there.
Israel has formal diplomatic relations with two other nations on its border, Egypt and Jordan.
As for Israel's relations with the Palestinians, it has been engaged in peace efforts with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah movement.
The truce between Israel and Gaza's Hamas leaders is scheduled to take effect Thursday morning and last for six months, Hamas officials said.
Hamas leaders said Tuesday that they had reached a truce with Israel -- to take effect at 6 a.m. Thursday -- but Israel did not confirm the deal until Wednesday morning.
Militants in Hamas-controlled Gaza have pummeled Israel with thousands of rocket and mortar attacks, prompting Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territory.
"We are hopeful that this will lead to a cessation of the daily rocket fire from (the) Gaza strip that Israelis have endured for so long," said David Baker, a spokesman for the Israeli government.
CNN
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