ISRAEL: Eight meetings, facilitated by an unnamed European mediator, took place between 2004 and 2006, writes Peter Hirschberg in Jerusalem
During two years of secret meetings in Europe, Israeli and Syrian representatives drew up the framework for a peace agreement between the two countries, including an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights and an end to Syrian support for Hizbullah and Hamas, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported yesterday.
According to the report, an unsigned document that includes a series of understandings - it is described as a "non-paper" - was drawn up during eight meetings that began in September 2004 and ended in July 2006, and which were facilitated by an unnamed European mediator.
The unofficial meetings, the report says, were held with the knowledge of the Israeli and Syrian leadership. On the Israeli side, former prime minister Ariel Sharon and current prime minister Ehud Olmert were said to have been informed of the contacts, while Syrian vice-president Farouk Shara and Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem were said to have been involved in some of the meetings.
The back channel hit a dead end, the report says, after the Syrians demanded an end to unofficial contacts and the start of an official negotiating channel.
Mr Olmert yesterday denied he had been briefed on secret talks.
"No one in the government was involved in this matter," he said.
"I did not know anything. It was a private initiative by an individual who was speaking to himself. From what I read, his interlocutor was an eccentric from the US, someone not serious or dignified."
According to the report, the Israeli involved in the talks was Alon Liel, a former foreign ministry director general, while Syria was represented by Ibrahim (Abe) Suleiman, an American citizen who personally delivered a message to senior officials at the foreign ministry in Jerusalem regarding Syria's desire for peace talks with Israel.
Foreign minister Tzipi Livni issued no comment yesterday on the report.
An official at the Syrian foreign ministry dismissed the report as "completely false" and insisted there had been no negotiations.
Official talks between Israel and Syria broke down in 2000 after the sides failed to reach agreement over the extent of an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, the strategic plateau captured by Israel during the 1967 war.
In recent months, Mr Olmert has repeatedly rejected Bashar Assad's calls for renewed peace negotiations, arguing that the Syrian president is interested in talks only as a means of easing US-led international pressure on Damascus.
According to the document that was drawn up, Israel would withdraw to the shores of the Sea of Galilee but would retain control of its waters. The border area on both sides would be demilitarised according to a 1:4 territorial ratio in Israel's favour, and a park covering a large section of the Golan Heights would be set up, with Israelis having free access to the area.
Meanwhile, Israel's state prosecutor announced yesterday that a criminal probe was being launched into Mr Olmert's role in the sale of Bank Leumi, a leading Israeli bank, when he was still finance minister two years ago.
The prosecutor is looking into whether the prime minister promoted the interests of two businessmen, who have been described in media reports as his friends, in the sale.