Speaking on the Dubai-based satellite television channel al-Arabiya, Olmert told Assad, "Come to Jerusalem to talk."

But the Syrian president is highly unlikely to follow in the footsteps of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, who in 1977 defied the entire Arab world, including a large segment of his own population, and undertook an historic trip to Jerusalem where he delivered a speech to the Israeli Knesset. Four years later Sadat ended up paying with his life for his overture to peace.

Speaking in Hebrew, the Israeli prime minister said: "Bashar Assad, you know ... You know I am ready to hold direct negotiations with you and you also know that it's you who insists on speaking to the Americans. The American president says: 'I don't want to stand between Bashar Assad and Ehud Olmert. If you want to talk, sit down and talk.

"Bashar Assad, I'm ready to hold direct negotiations for peace with you. But you know, and you say this all the time, that you are only willing to hold talks through the United States."

The Israeli prime minister added: "Bashar Assad doesn't want to sit with me, he wants to sit with the Americans, but the Americans don't want to sit with him. I am willing to meet him if he's willing to meet me. If that happens, we will discuss peace, not war. I don't want to fight the Syrians."

This unexpected invitation to talk peace rather than wage war from Prime Minister Olmert comes after several days of mounting tension on the Golan Heights amid rumors that contributed in raising the tension to levels not reached since the end of the October 1973 war.

But if Syria and Israel are to discuss peace they need to do it without Washington's participation. When Olmert visited Washington last month President George W. Bush was asked if he would consider mediating between Syria and Israel and get the stalled peace talks back on track. Bush answered that Olmert "is plenty capable" of initiating such talks without U.S. help.

The Bush administration remains highly reluctant to engage Syria in dialogue, choosing instead to ignore it. The administration accuses Syria of interfering in internal Lebanese and Iraqi affairs and of supporting groups considered by the United States to engage in terrorism.

When asked by the interviewer where he would hold eventual talks with Assad, Olmert replied, "any place he (Assad) would agree to meet."

The reply to Olmert's invitation to a dialogue of peace may come on July 17, the official date of Assad's second seven-year term in office, when the Syrian president is expected to deliver an important speech to the nation.

One sticking point -- one of many -- is that Damascus insists on the participation of the United States in any negotiation with Israel. According to Haaretz, an official close to the Syrian president said that without the United States there will be no negotiations.

This puts Israel and somewhat of a bind. Entering into talks with Syria, and without U.S. participation leaves Israel wary that such a move would upset Washington, Israel's staunchest and most powerful ally.

But of far greater concern for Israel is Bush's fixation in bringing down the regime in Damascus. Despite the fact that relations between Syria and Israel are non-existent, Israel is far more reassured with the status quo in Damascus. When it comes to the current regime in Damascus the Israeli leadership knows whom they are dealing with. Should there be an unexpected change of regime in Syria no one can predict who would emerge at the head of the new government.

For that reason Israel would much prefer to continue to see the Assad regime remain in power than to deal with an unknown entity, particularly if the new rulers in Syria are Islamist extremists.

What Israel dreads is to find itself facing a situation in Syria that is comparable to that of Iraq.

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