Syria Receives First Israeli Visitors Ever
A group of Israeli Arabs arrived Monday on the first official visit by Israelis to Syria, but the government played it down, and ordinary citizens were largely unaware of the groundbreaking trip.
Syria, Israel’s most hard-line foe, traditionally has shunned any contact with Israelis and barred Israeli passport-holders from visiting the country.
President Hafez Assad insisted the delegation could not enter Syria with Israeli passports, saying this would imply recognition of the Jewish state. Egypt, the only Arab country that has a peace treaty with Israel, provided travel papers for the 58 Israeli Arabs.
The visit of the Israeli Arab delegation suggests that despite the lack of progress in Mideast peace talks, the Syrians do not want to put an end to the negotiations.
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