A source says that Israel and Syria agree on 85% of the issues they need to agree on to give Syria back the Golan. What’s part of that 15%? Well, besides Syria trying to grab land it never had to begin with, a teeny, tiny problem: Syria’s support for terrorists.
The paper reported that according to the source, 85% of the issues standing between the two countries on the way to a peace deal have already been agreed. One of the issues which have yet to be discussed is Israel’s demand that Syria detach itself from Hamas and Hizbullah and break its strategic alliance with Iran.
“I am optimistic,” the source told the newspaper reporter. “This does not mean that Syria will have to sever its ties with Iran and its followers in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, but it will join those influencing them in a positive manner – in accordance with the peace relations between Israel and Syria.
“We have a clear example for that – the relations between Syria and Turkey, just like Damascus withdrew its support for the PKK (Kurdish militant organization fighting for independence from Turkish rule).”
Except that once again, let’s be clear: Syria has no intention of making peace with Israel.
Syrian President Bashar Assad dismissed on Tuesday Israeli demands for Syria to abandon an alliance with Iran as a requirement for a peace deal.
Assad told British MPs that the Baath Party government intended to maintain its “normal relations” with Iran while it conducts indirect talks with Israel to regain the Golan Heights, a source familiar with the meeting told Reuters.
[…] “The president said Syria has normal relations with Iran. He made it clear that any suggestion to drop them was not a reasonable request,” the source said.
“He said if Israel could question Syria’s relations with Iran then Syria could question Israel’s ties with other countries, particularly the United States,” the source added, referring to Israel’s main ally.
Yeah, because American is just like Iran. Oh, wait. We’re the polar opposite. My bad.
Thankfully, Olmert is going to fall soon, and these discussions will be moot.
When Syria makes a real peace with Israel, and only then, should the Golan be given back.
The inhabitants of three Druze villages stayed put in 1967 when Israel conquered the Golan. I wonder what their opinion is about being handed back to the tender mercies of Ba’athist Syria?