Israel Postpones New Round Of Syria Peace Talks

`The Israeli side asked for it to be postponed,` Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told reporters in Damascus on Wednesday.

A fifth round of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel has been postponed at the request of the Jewish state, Syria's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Turkey, which has mediated four sessions of indirect contacts between the two countries, confirmed the delay in the talks which centre on the fate of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Middle East War.

"When Israel is ready to resume the talks, we will be ready as well," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told reporters in Damascus after a meeting with his Spanish counterpart. The fifth round had been scheduled for Thursday.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sept. 4 the fifth round of indirect talks, originally scheduled for earlier this month, had been postponed at Israel's request because of the resignation of Israel's chief negotiator.

Assad had described the round as "crucial".

In Jerusalem, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev declined to go into detail on the delay but said Israel hoped the indirect negotiations would go on.

"Israel remains committed to the Turkish initiative and to the indirect talks with the Syrians. We are hopeful that the next round of talks will be able to begin shortly," he said.

A Turkish government official confirmed Israel had requested the postponement. "We wish and think this is only temporary and not permanent. We assume this (postponement) is due to the dynamics in Israeli politics," the official said.

Members of Israel's ruling party voted on Wednesday for a new leader to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who has promised to resign following a corruption investigation in which he faces indictment.

Israeli negotiator Yoram Turbowicz announced his resignation as Olmert's chief of staff in July, shortly after the prime minister said he would leave office because of the charges against him.

An Israeli government official said that Israel's attorney general has yet to authorise Turbowicz to continue his role as chief negotiator now that he is no longer in government, and said a ruling is expected next week.

The talks are focused on the fate of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau which Israel captured in 1967. Damascus wants the whole territory returned.

Israel wants Syria to scale back ties with its main foes -- Iran and the Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah militant groups. Syria has so far refused to do so.

the last direct talks between Israel and Syria stalled in 2000 in a dispute over how much of the Golan should go back to Syria.