The Syrian position

Top-level envoy describes the unlikelihood of a break in the strategic alliance between Iran; Hezbollah and Syria.

Ongoing negotiations between Syria and Israel via the Turkish intermediary have given hope to renewed peace efforts between the enemy states. Syria demands that the Golan Heights – a strategic area for both Israel and Syria that was captured by Israel in 1967 – be returned as a prerequisite for peace talks.

President Assad has expressed his desire to continue in peace negotiations provided that the Golan Heights are returned. His Israeli counterpart – Ehud Olmert – has some preconditions himself.

In order for Israel to be content with returning the Golan Heights to Syria, it is necessary – according to Israeli officials – that Syria cut ties with the terror-sponsors. These include Hezbollah and Iran.

Recently a high-level advisor to the Syrian regime made it clear that Syria is unlikely to detach itself from Iran or Hezbollah for the sake of peace with Israel. This places the opportunity for peace in a precarious predicament.

Without a guarantee that Syria will desist in enemy activities, handing over the Golan Heights will simply allow enemies of the State of Israel to camp out on Israel’s doorstep. Such a solution is hardly attractive to Israel.

The leftists in the Knesset may feel that a conciliatory gesture such as handing back the Golan Heights may be viewed positively by the outside world. If the Syrians then continue to allow weapons to pass from Iran into southern Lebanon it will again be up to Israel to prove such actions are being undertaken. This results in a zero-sum for Israel. They will have lost face and land in the interests of a peace that was barely worth the paper it was scribbled on.

The problem it seems comes to down to Iran. As the major antagonist in the region, it is Iran that pulls the strings with Syria; Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran may be fighting a proxy war against Israel now, but international pressure may yet put an end to such bullying tactics in the near future.