Peace talks between Israel and Syria have been frozen for three years. Syria insists negotiations resume where they left off under Israel's previous Labour government in February 1996 with an Israeli commitment to withdraw from the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria in 1967. But Israel's current hardline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused. Mordechai was fired by Netanyahu last month just before he quit the ruling Likud Party to form the Centre Party and challenge his former boss for the premiership in the May 17 elections. He and fellow moderates have expressed awillingness to cede some of the Golan Heights to make peace with Syria.