Beilin and peace with Syria

Israeli Minister of Justice Yossi Beilin said the Israeli government is ready and prepared to resume negotiations with Syria and expressed his hope that peace will be attainable.

He added that Israel "will not do everything for any price," and if the Syrians continue this "game, there will be no peace."

For his part, an member of the Israeli Knesset for the Likud, Danny Naveh, said he feels that the current crisis in the Syrian-Israeli negotiations is a tactical crisis, especially as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak had agreed on a withdrawal from the Golan and that all current discussions are concentrated on the principle of border demarcation, the issue on which the Syrians persist on, the Israeli Hebrew - language radio said.

The radio report quoted Israeli Tourism Minister Amnon Shahak as saying on Tuesday that the current crisis in the negotiations with Syria is a tactical one since the two sides, Syria and Israel, want peace, and there is a good possibility of resuming negotiations.

He added that despite all things he "expects other crises in the negotiations that might lead to suspending them after resumption."