Assad: 'Israel not able or ready to achieve peace'

Syrian president tells 'al-Hayat' newspaper Israel trying to convince world Turkey can't stay in peace process, reports suggest.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
bashar assad 311 (photo credit: AP)
bashar assad 311
(photo credit: AP)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said during an interview with al-Hayat newspaper that Israel is not able or ready to achieve peace, Sana news agency reported Thursday.
When asked whether the deteriorating ties between Turkey and Israel bothered Syria Assad said it was not a concern because the Israeli government has been trying to convince the world that Turkey cannot remain in the peace process between the two countries, the report suggested.
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According to the report Assad said that the raid of the IDF Mavi Mamara aid flotilla on May 31 which left 9 Turks dead harmed relations between Israel and Turkey and the Turkish role in the peace process.
The Syrian president claimed Israel is not a partner for peace therefore he can not play a role in the peace process.
Assad has accused Israel of working against peace between the two countries a number of times in the past.
Earlier in the month Assad said "there are ideas being put forward by some countries. They are preliminary and we do not know if they will push the process forward for not ... the atmosphere is not positive."
"The Arab side really wants the peace process and the Israeli side is working in the opposite direction," he added.
Assad was referring to US and French moves to relaunch Syrian-Israeli talks which broke off in 2008 without a deal.