DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Israeli president went on Arab television Wednesday to urge Syria's leader to accept his invitation to come to Israel and launch new peace talks between the longtime enemies.
In the interview with the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV channel, Moshe Katsav urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to ease Israelis' suspicions over Assad's recent comment that he is interested in resuming peace negotiations that stalled in 2000.
"The test now is a test for the Syrian president," Katsav said from Jerusalem. "He is required to prove his serious intentions and that he wants peace."
Katsav spoke in Hebrew with an Arabic translation voice-over in the interview with Al-Jazeera. Washington has accused the network of airing reports slanted against the United States and Israel, though it is one of the few Arab stations to interview Israeli officials.
Katsav reissued an invitation to Bashar Assad to visit Israel, saying Israel would "welcome him."
Syria and Israel — foes who remain technically at war — have fought three major conflicts: in 1948, 1967 and 1973. Israel seized Syria's strategic Golan Heights in 1967, but since 1973 their shared border has mostly been calm.
In 2000, Syrian-Israeli talks collapsed in a dispute over the amount of Golan Heights land to be returned to Damascus and security guarantees to be given Israel.
Syria brushed off Katsav when he first made his invitation to Assad, on Monday. Syrian officials also have insisted that while they are ready to resume negotiations with Israel, the talks should begin where they broke off in 2000. Israel has rejected any preconditions for reopening the talks.
Katsav said Assad's actions — "the continued support for Hezbollah, the hosting of terrorist Palestinian groups in Damascus, the anti-Semitic remarks he has not rescinded and his taking advantage of his relations with Iran to smuggle weapons for Hezbollah raise doubts about the sincerity of his intentions."
Katsav said renewed peace negotiations could be open or carried through secret channels.
On Palestinian-Israeli relations, Katsav said no Israeli government will be able to have serious talks with the Palestinians "as long as terrorism and planning for attacks continue."
Scores of Israelis have died in suicide attacks, most of them blamed on Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. On Wednesday, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew herself up at the major crossing point between Israel and the Gaza Strip, killing at least four Israelis and wounding seven other people.
In the same interview, Katsav praised Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's decision to abandon the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, saying he "deserves appreciation."
Asked about reports of secret talks between Israel and Libya, Katsav said: "What happens in secret should remain a secret." He would not elaborate.