September 11, 2007 (LPAC)--Leading Israelis are expressing outrage with the fact that the Israeli government has remained silent over the Israeli overflights of Syrian and Turkish territory. This silence is in fact unprecedented.

"I cannot remember such a blatant example of silencing the public, and the media, like this latest one, [an incident] which was or was not," Alon Liel, who previously served as director general at the Foreign Ministry, told the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. "The security conduct in view of the Syrian affair is a blow to democracy, freedom of speech and the basic right of the public to know about the state of its security."

Liel, who conducted talks with the Syrians through a Swiss and Turkish channels, and currently heads an organization promoting peace talks with Syria. Denouncing the silence of the press Liel said, "Now I am convinced that we hear puppets speaking. The irony is that the Syrian dictatorship has become the source of information for the Israeli public that is trying to feel its way in the dark."

Yossi Beilin, the leader of the pro-peace Meretz party also attacked the silence saying: "I do not know if this was an important move or a crazy one," the head of the leftist party says. "It's pathetic to say that a stupid thing occurred here, if I am not supposed to know what happened." He then warned of the danger that the incident could lead to a violent Israeli-Syrian conflict. "At the same time, I do not need to understand the substance to conclude that in the absence of a political move between us and Syria, we can expect the situation to deteriorate to violence, and to this I will not be an ally of any government."