JERUSALEM, 7 April 2008 — Israel’s prime minister sent a message to Syria yesterday meant to lower tensions along their shared border, even as officials indicated long-shrouded details of an Israeli attack on a Syrian military facility could soon become public.
Media in both countries have carried agitated reports of heightened frictions between the longtime foes over the past week. A five-day public-safety drill that began yesterday has only deepened tensions.
At the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tried to assure the Syrians they had nothing to fear from the drill, which is meant to test the readiness of government agencies, the military and rescue services to deal with war, a mass terror attack or natural disasters.
“I want to make it clear that this is an exercise and nothing but an exercise,” Olmert said. “Israel is not seeking violent conflict in the north. We have said more than once that we are interested in peace talks with the Syrians.”
Since Israel’s 2006 war with Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas, both Israel and Syria have declared their readiness to renew negotiations and exchanged messages through third party emissaries, but there has been no sign of movement.
