Both Israel and Syria confirmed on Wednesday they are holding indirect peace talks mediated by Turkish officials.
以色列和叙利亚星期三都证实，双方正在土耳其官员的调停下举行间接和平谈判。
In nearly simultaneous statements officials in Jerusalem and Damascus said the two governments are talking with open minds and in good faith, with the aim of reaching a comprehensive peace agreement. Both governments thanked Turkey for its mediation efforts but neither government would discuss details of the talks.
以色列和叙利亚官员几乎同时发表声明说，两国政府正在开诚布公、诚心诚意地举行会谈，目的是达成全面和平协议。两国政府都感谢土耳其的调停工作，但是，两国政府都不愿透露会谈的细节。
The discussions are the first high-level talks to take place since U.S. mediated negotiations between Israel and Syria broke down in 2000 over the issue of how far Israel would withdraw from the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. The talks are also taking place as Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is facing a corruption investigation over alleged misuse of campaign funds.
以色列和叙利亚曾经在美国的调停下进行谈判，但是由于双方在以色列撤离戈兰高地问题上争执不下，谈判于2000年终止。从那时以来，这是两国举行的第一次高层会谈。以色列在1967年的阿以战争中占领了戈兰高地。与此同时，以色列总理奥尔默特因被指控滥用竞选资金而面临腐败调查。
Retired Israeli General Shlomo Gazit of Tel Aviv University says getting an agreement with the Syrians might not be that difficult, but getting the Israeli public to accept it will not be easy.
特拉维夫大学的以色列退役将军加齐特说，以色列和叙利亚达成协议也许并不难，但是要让以色列公众接受这项协议就不那么简单了。
"Both sides know what the problems are what the positions are and all that is needed is a decision," said Gazit. "Unfortunately, with the present political weakness of Mr. Olmert on the Israeli side I do not see him coming back to the Israeli public with an agreement and saying this is my blueprint and I want your support."
加齐特说：“双方都清楚问题所在，双方也都清楚彼此的立场，唯一需要的是作出一个决定。遗憾的是，由于奥尔默特总理目前在以色列政坛上比较虚弱，我认为他不会对以色列公众说，这项协议是我的规划蓝图，我需要你们的支持。”
Senior officials from both sides including Prime Minister Olmert's Chief of Staff and senior diplomatic advisor have been meeting in Turkey since Monday. The talks are believed to have started last year after Mr. Olmert carried out a state visit to Turkey.
双方高级官员自星期一以来一直在土耳其会谈，其中包括奥尔默特总理的办公室主任和高级外交顾问。据信，双方的会谈自去年奥尔默特总理对土耳其进行国事访问以后就开始了。
While Syria's top priority in the talks is re-gaining control of the Golan Heights, Israeli officials want Damascus to sever its close ties with Iran, and stop supporting Palestinian militant groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
虽然在会谈中叙利亚的优先议题是重获对戈兰高地的控制，但是以色列官员要叙利亚切断与伊朗的密切关系，并且停止支持巴勒斯坦激进组织，比如哈马斯和伊斯兰圣战者组织。
Israeli officials say the talks with Syria will not affect ongoing peace negotiations between Israel and the moderate Palestinian government of President Mahmoud Abbas. A spokesman for Mr. Abbas welcomed news of the Israel-Syria talks, but Shlomo Gazit of Tel Aviv University says any agreement with Syria will complicate a possible settlement with the Palestinians.
以色列官员说，以色列和叙利亚之间的会谈不会影响以色列和温和的巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席阿巴斯之间正在进行的和谈。阿巴斯主席的一名发言人对色列和叙利亚举行会谈的消息表示欢迎。但是特拉维夫大学的加齐特说，以色列和叙利亚达成的任何协议都将使以色列和巴勒斯坦之间的协议更加复杂化。
"Israeli public opinion will be very quick to respond and to say if we have to withdraw from all or most parts of the Golan Heights we are not in a position simultaneously to withdraw settlements from the West Bank," he said.
加齐特说：“以色列的公众舆论会很快对此作出反应，人们会说，如果我们不得不从戈兰高地的所有或大部分地区撤离的话，那我们就不能同时也从约旦河西岸的定居点撤离。”
Israel and Syria have fought three wars in the past 60 years and have also clashed in Lebanon. Since Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967, 18,000 Israelis have moved there and the area is now a popular tourist destination. A statement from the Golan settlers rejected any agreement that would require them to leave the area. About 18,000 Druse Arabs who consider themselves Syrian nationals also live on the Golan where large numbers of Israeli and Syrian troops are separated by a force of U.N. peacekeepers.
以色列和叙利亚在过去的60年里有过三次交战，而且双方在黎巴嫩也发生过冲突。自1967年以色列从叙利亚手中夺取戈兰高地以来，已经有1万8千以色列人搬迁到那里。目前戈兰高地已经成为一个受欢迎的旅游地点。戈兰高地的犹太定居者发表声明说，他们拒绝任何要求他们离开该地区的协议。戈兰高地还居住着大约1万8千名认为自己是叙利亚人的德鲁士族阿拉伯人。驻扎在戈兰高地的一支联合国维和部队把大量以色列军队和叙利亚军队隔开。 |