Syrian parliamentarian: 'Abe Suleiman has zero credibility'

Jerusalem Post ^ | Apr. 14, 2007 | Jonathan Beck

[Esther Ruth]

Syrian parliamentarian: 'Abe Suleiman has zero credibility'

Jonathan Beck, THE JERUSALEM POST Apr. 14, 2007

Abe (Ibrahim) Suleiman does not represent Syria in any capacity, a Syrian member of parliament was quoted by Israel Radio as saying Saturday.

In an interview with BBC quoted by Israel Radio, parliamentarian George Jabour called Suleiman's behaviour "strange and surprising," adding that "no one in Syria asked Suleiman to speak in the country's name."

Jabour also said that Suleiman had "zero credibility" in Syrians' eyes.

Suleiman, a Syrian-born American businessman who holds a dual citizenship, came to Israel this week in what was hailed as a "landmark visit by a representative of an enemy state," and spoke before members of Knesset.

On Thursday, Suleiman announced to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that peace with Syria could be achieved within six months, and continued to present an elaborate description of the nature and details of a possible peace deal.

Suleiman's visit to Israel was the initiative of Meretz MK Zehava Gal-on.

Suleiman's Thursday appearance in the FADC was widely covered by Israeli media despite the fact that already in January Prime Minister Ehud Olmert emphatically denied any knowledge of Suleiman's alleged "secret talks" with Alon Liel, former Foreign Ministry director-general who supposedly represented Israel in the talks, and other Israeli representatives.

"I didn't know anything, and no one in the government knew," Olmert said at the time. "No government officials were involved in this matter."

Olmert described the meetings a "private initiative of someone speaking to himself," adding that it was "not serious and not dignified, and there is no need to waste words beyond what has been said until now."

Suleiman was quick to retaliate. In a televised interview from his home in Washington DC, he told Channel 10 that the obstacle to peace with Syria was Olmert's weakness as a leader.

Somewhat Ironically, Jabour's statements on Saturday seem to indicate that the one issue on which Syria and Israel currently agree is the doubtful veracity of the Suleiman-Liel duo.

[Esther Ruth]

[Esther Ruth]

Apr. 12, 2007 0:54 | Updated Apr. 12, 2007 14:26

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Suleiman presents possible peace deal

MARK WEISS, SHEERA CLAIRE FRENKEL, and Jpost staff, THE JERUSALEM POST Apr. 12, 2007

Syrian American Abe Suleiman, a US-based Syrian citizen considered an associate of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s father, presented the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee with possible scenarios for a peace deal with Syria, Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On said Thursday.

Gal-On said that according to Suleiman, Syria would cease its support for terror organizations and join the global fight against terror, as well as cutting ties to Hizbullah. Syria would, in turn, demand that Israel withdraw from the Golan Heights.

Likud MK Yisrael Katz said following the meeting with Suleiman that he had asked the representative to tell Assad that Israel would never leave the Golan Heights.

“I’ve gotten 61 MKs to promise their opposition to a withdrawal from the Golan, and there’s a strong majority in favor of that position in the Knesset. It’s important that Assad know that,” Katz said.

Suleiman’s meeting with the FADC was the first time in Knesset history that a citizen of an enemy state testified before the committee.

Suleiman represented Syria in secret, unofficial and unsanctioned peace talks between 2004 and 2006 with an Israeli delegation led by former Foreign Ministry director-general Alon Liel, who will also address the committee.

Suleiman and Liel briefed the committee on understandings reached on an outline of a peace agreement between Israel and Syria.

Both Israel and Syrian officially distanced themselves from the talks that ended last summer, and a tentative deal based on a full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights in return for normalized relations.

Suleiman, a prominent Syrian-American businessman living in Maryland, has been to Israel before but this was his first publicized visit.

The invitation for Suleiman to address the committee came from Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On.

Committee chairman Tzahi Hanegbi (Kadima) stressed that he supported Israel’s position that the time was not right to resume peace talks with Syria.

“But it is important for the committee not to silence other views,” Hanegbi told Israel Radio, “particularly when the man outlining these views claims to have direct access to the Syrian leadership.”

Suleiman did not claim to represent the Syrian government during the discussions, but did reportedly update certain Syrian officials on the contacts.

Since his arrival on Tuesday, Suleiman has toured Jerusalem. On Wednesday, he toured Yad Vashem, accompanied by Liel.

Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.