- DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria
denounced Wednesday plans by Israel to double the number of settlers in
the Golan Heights to tighten the Jewish state's grip over the plateau seized
from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war.
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- "There is no recognition for this measure. Israel
is deluded that it can achieve something by relying on power and occupation,"
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Isa Daweesh told Reuters.
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- "Practically, Israel cannot gain anything out of
this move because it is not legitimate."
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- Israeli Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz said Wednesday
the right-wing government had agreed on the plan to solidify its hold over
the strategic heights before opening any peace negotiations with Syria.
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- Asked if Israel's move was a step to pre-empt any future
peace negotiations between the two countries, Daweesh said: "Conflicts
are not resolved through power, they should be resolved under international
law."
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- Israel conquered the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle
East War and annexed it in 1981, a move condemned internationally. About
17,000 Jewish settlers now live in the Golan.
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- Syria rejected Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights
in 1981 and demands all Israeli-occupied lands be returned before any peace
agreement. U.S.-brokered negotiations between Syria and Israel broke down
in 2000.
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