The remarks appeared aimed at dousing war talk stoked by an April 10 Kuwaiti newspaper report, endorsed by some Israeli officials but denied by Damascus, that Syria had supplied Scud missiles to Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
"In my estimate, there is Iranian agitation, both direct and indirect, via Hezbollah. With this agitation Iran is trying to persuade Syria, mainly, that Israel is about to attack Syria," Netanyahu told Israel's Channel Two television in an interview.
"This is a lie," he said. "And, as you know, if you repeat a lie enough times, even good people and good leaders repeat the mistake ... Israel wants peace. Israel does not want war." Netanyahu did not elaborate on his assertion about Iran's influence on Syria. But his statements seemed consistent with calls by Israeli leaders such as Defense Minister Ehud Barak to coax Syria away from Iran, perhaps through renewed peace talks.
After Israeli President Shimon Peres, who does not wield executive powers, endorsed the Scud report on April 13, Syria and Lebanon accused Israel of seeking a pretext to attack them.
The Netanyahu government has not publicly commented on the Scud allegations, though some officials privately supported them. The United States voiced alarm at the possibility of a Scud transfer but demurred on whether it had indeed happened.
"One thing I can say is that arms flow continuously from Syria, via the Lebanon-Syria border - both Iranian arms and Syrian arms," Netanyahu told Channel Two.
He would not be drawn on whether Israel would see as a cause for war any possession by Hezbollah of Syrian-supplied Scuds. Hezbollah has declined to confirm or deny the missile report.
"I think that Syria understands there is fierce criticism - both by the United States, and by us, and from any peace-seeking country - over any such weapons transfer, though I won't discuss any specific details," Netanyahu said.
"And I hope that they understand this thing is unacceptable. We don't dabble in threats of war." Israel fought Hezbollah in 2006 and, a year later, bombed a Syrian site which the CIA described as a nascent nuclear reactor - a charge rejected by Damascus. Syria has itself hinted at war as an alternative to decade-old stalled peace talks with Israel.
Netanyahu has voiced interest in peace with Syria but balked at its core demand for a return of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Barak has suggested this price might be worth paying to curb Iran, whose nuclear project Israel deems a mortal threat.
