Majadele Pushes ‘Painful’ Concessions

(IsraelNN.com) Science, Sport, and Culture Minister Raleb Majadele (Labor), Israel’s first Arab minister, said Thursday that he has pushed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to give up parts of Israel. In a talk with Olmert, he pushed for “significant and painful territorial concessions” in the hopes of making peace with Syria. Majadele also asked Olmert to make him a good-will emissary to Syria.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has said he will negotiate with Israel if Israel gives up the strategic Golan region. Olmert has offered to meet with Assad with no preconditions.