Rabin Deposit Unneeded

Walid Moallem, Syria's Foreign Minister, has said that Syria does not insist on an Israeli commitment to withdrawal from the Golan Heights as a precondition for talks. This is a significant retreat from the position of Hafez Assad, and signals further that Syria is serious about wanting to resolve its conflict with Israel. I have no idea why the Bush administration and Olmert government are so publicly opposed to negotiations.

UPDATE: Over at AF, Haggai suggests I've missed some things and this isn't as new as I thought.

(Crossposted to American Footprints.)