Tibi: Meeting with Syrian FM unplanned

Insists Israeli peace with Syria, Palestinians must be based on withdrawal from "forbidden" territories.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
syrian fm moallem 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
syrian fm moallem 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
MK Ahmed Tibi (Ra'am-Ta'al) met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem in a forum attended by various officials from Arab countries in New York late last week. The two met over the Iftar feast, marking the end of the daily fast during the month of Ramadan, hosted by Qatari Prince Hamid Bin Abdul Sani al-Thani in the Ritz Hotel on Thursday. Tibi told Army Radio that he had attended a range of lectures at the hotel and happened to have been seated next to the Syrian foreign minister on his right and next to the Bahraini foreign minister on his left. Foreign Ministers from Yemen, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates were also present, said Tibi. Tibi insisted that his "meeting" with Moallem was unplanned and hinted that the conversation between the two resulted from the meal's seating arrangements. Asked what the two discussed, Tibi replied that the nature of their conversation was indeed political, but said that he felt it unnecessary to reveal precise details of a dialogue between two dining men. Tibi explained that "the Syrian position on negotiations with Israel has and will continue to be indirect until things become more concrete." Furthermore, the "final objective of such talks would be a complete withdrawal from all of the forbidden territories captured in '67. The price tag is known, and as far as I know, Israel is aware of this." Regarding a peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, as well as with Syria, Tibi said that he was a full supporter of peace that was based on "the end of the occupation and full relations once this occupation is ended and an agreement is signed. Tibi told his interviewer that he had not met any Arab delegation that was not interested in internal Israeli affairs for they had direct influence on them. The MK called Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comments denying the Holocaust damaging. His comments "must be condemned on both political and ethical levels. The Holocaust is the worst crime ever committed in modern history. His words, undoubtedly, do not add to his case that he supposedly wishes to portray. His comments are damaging and do not help."