Israel and Syria are holding indirect peace talks, with Turkey acting as a mediator, both countries confirmed officially for the first time today. The nations have “indicated they want to lead these negotiations in a serious spirit so as to reach a comprehensive peace agreement”, a spokesman for Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said.Syria’s foreign ministry confirmed the country was holding “indirect peace talks with Israel under Turkish auspices”, Reuters reported.
There’s a long, long way to go, of course, and the chances of success are slim, but this is an encouraging development nonetheless.