The head of the Military Intelligence research division Brigadier General Yossi Baidatz on Monday said that Syria was continuing to transfer significant amounts of weapons to the Lebanon-based guerilla group Hezbollah.
Last week, in a surprise three-way announcement from Jerusalem, Damascus and Ankara, Israel and Syria announced that they were holding indirect peace negotiations under Turkish mediation, the first such talks in eight years.
"The weapons are arriving in Lebanon, and then they make their way to the south of the country [to Hezbollah]" Baidatz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
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Baidatz said that in his view, Syria was not really considering changing its attitude toward Iran, an outspoken opponent of Israel, despite diplomatic contacts with Israel. He added, however, that he felt that the Syrians were earnestly interested in advancing the peace process with Israel.
The intelligence chief went on to say that the Hezbollah was continuing to enhance its rocket capability both north and south of the Litani River, which serves as a demarcation line indicating the northern border of what is considered southern Lebanon. "The rockets are coming in from Syria and Iran," Baidatz said.
Baidatz also addressed the Palestinian Authority in his speech before the Knesset committee, saying that the authority of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over the Palestinian people will gradually diminish. In response to a question put forth by MK Silvan Shalom (Likud), Baidatz said that Abbas will likely not run for reelection in January 2009.
According to data presented by Baidatz, the Israel Defense Forces carried out 71 airstrikes in the Gaza Strip over the last two months, and 34 ground operations during that period of time. The IDF maintains that 70 Palestinian militants were killed in these operations.
Olmert, who also addressed the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, denied reports that he had committed to withdrawing from the Golan Heights, as a precondition set by Syria for renewing peace negotiations.
"All I said to the Syrians was that I know what you want, and you know what I want. There was no commitment beyond that," Olmert told the Knesset committee.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem has recently said that Damascus had agreed to revive the peace talks after receiving assurances via Turkey from Israel, that it was willing to fully withdraw from the Golan, which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day war.
Olmert defended his decision to revive the talks with Syria, saying "if, heaven forbid, against our will and because of a miscalculation, we were drawn into a violent confrontation with the Syrians, then [people] would come and ask me 'how can it be that they wanted peace and you didn't even explore that possibility?'"
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