Syria slams Israel for not replying to peace offer
Syrian Vice President says US regards Palestinian resistance in occupied territories as terrorism.
DAMASCUS - Syrian Vice President Mohammed Zuhair Masharka hit out at Israel Monday for not responding to his government's peace overtures.
"Syria is seeking a just peace that would lead to an Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories," official media quoted Masharka as saying in a keynote speech.
"But Israel doesn't want peace," the vice-president told delegates from the eight political parties in the state-sponsored National Progressive Front governing coalition.
"Israel doesn't recognise the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to resist occupation. The US administration shares this view and regards resistance in the occupied territories as terrorism."
Last month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced his readiness to resume peace talks with Israel "without precondition", abandoning longstanding demands for negotiations to resume where they broke off in early 2000.
But the offer met a cool response from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and, on December 19, US President George W. Bush said Syria would have to wait until after negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians bore fruit.
"Now Assad needs to wait - first peace between Israel and Palestine, and then we'll see what to do with Syria," Bush told an Israeli newspaper.
