Israel and Syria have been in contact through third parties for a while, but the mediators have been unable to get the two sides to resume peace talks, an Israeli official said Wednesday.
They were already less than thrilled with the content. But plans to launch the final installment of the wildly popular Harry Potter book series in Israel during the Sabbath was just too much for the ultra-Orthodox.
Harry Potter, the world's most famous boy wizard, has fallen foul of Israel's rabbis.
Israel on Wednesday brushed off Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's latest peace overtures as a cosmetic move aimed at boosting his country's image in the West.
Israel's government watchdog is due on Wednesday to release a report on last year's Lebanon war, widely expected to roast the authorities over the lack of civilian defences during the conflict.
Israel has confirmed third parties are being used to convey messages between its government and Syria's, Haaretz reported Wednesday.
The figure responsible for Israel's latest religious row is a bespectacled British teenager who is gifted with magical powers, world famous and entirely fictional.
Harry Potter Book Launch on Sabbath Sparks a Row in Israel
NEW DELHI: The Left may make the UPA government dance to its tune on a host of issues, from presidential elections to FDI in insurance, but it has consistently failed to breach a particular lakshman rekha - defence and strategic cooperation with US and Israel.
The State of Israel has the legal right to sue over a contentious Sh40 million residence in Nairobi's Muthaiga area, the court has ruled.