He blew it

Damn.

Jerusalem (CNN, January 12) - Israel's president invited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Jerusalem for peace talks Monday, but a Syrian official dismissed the offer.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav issued the invitation during a radio interview.

"I'm the president of Israel, and I have the authority to invite foreign presidents to come to Israel," he said. "I invite the president of Syria to come to Jerusalem to meet with the country's leaders and conduct serious negotiations, if that is his wish."

Syria called the invitation a diversion. Buthayna Shaaban, a Syrian government minister, said the offer "is not serious." ...

"What the Israelis are doing on the ground is building more settlements, occupying more territories [in the Golan Heights], doubling the number of settlers and then talking about visits," he said. "This is not serious. This is not serious talk at all."

Perhaps it isn't. But bearing in mind the opening provided by the Sadat-Begin visit, and even though Katsav is the president, not the prime minister, Assad still should have gone.

The article noted that it was unclear if Sharon supported Katsav's request. Perhaps Sharon didn't. He still should have gone.

Perhaps it is indeed a diversion, perhaps Israel, as some have charged and as I have wondered, doesn't really want a peace agreement. He still should have gone.

Perhaps the invitation is just another tactical move in the internal power struggle I've speculated about within the Sharon government. He still should have gone.

If Assad went, would he accomplish anything? Perhaps not. He still should have gone.

Dammit, he should have gone.

Update: Minor edit for clarity.