Israeli defense minister: Israeli security intrests in Golan do not prevent agreement with Syria

Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai has called upon Damascus to return to peace negotiations. In a statement to Israeli radio, Mordechai added: "Syria knows well that the war with Israel does not provide political solutions." He added that a return should be made to the negotiation table in order to find appropriate solutions to disputes between the two countries and to discuss formulas that can enable the two sides to make progress in the peace process. Mordechai added: "We have security interests in the Golan, but this does not prevent concluding an agreement with Syria."