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Last update - 02:25 30/10/2009
Editorial / Israel should cede Golan for full peace with Syria
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: hamas, israel news, iran 

Syrian President Bashar Assad is interested in renewing the negotiations with Israel on getting back the Golan Heights in return for peace. Assad initiated an indirect dialogue with Israel, until recently through Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the minute Erdogan fell out with Israel, through Croatian President Stjepan Mesic.

Last week Mesic met with Assad and separately with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an effort to offer his services as mediator and host.

Netanyahu in theory accepted the proposal but in practice turned it down by insisting that the negotiations be direct and without preconditions (translation: without an Israeli commitment to withdraw to the June 4, 1967 lines and without reverting to the point when talks stopped under prime minister Ehud Olmert). So Netanyahu set preconditions under the guise of opposing the setting of preconditions.
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The Israeli approach to relations with Syria needs to be managed from the end to the start, and the end is a vision of regional peace between Israel and its neighbors. In parallel to efforts to reach a permanent settlement with the Palestinians and without hurting their interests, Israel must seek peace with Syria in the context of Security Council Resolution 242 of November 1967: full and secure peace in return for complete withdrawal. Those who do not want such a deal will seek to undermine it using arguments of procedure.

Assad wants to move closer to the bridge of indirect talks, and to do so in two stages. The mediator during the first stage, a non-American, may be a Turk, Croat, Frenchman or someone else; this person would identify the points of dispute and seek to remove them. Only as the two sides approach the bridge would an American mediator be expected to bring the talks under his aegis and prepare a tripartite summit. But the Obama administration should not be idle before this stage. U.S. special envoy George Mitchell and his deputy for Syria and Lebanon, Fred Hof, are meeting with politicians and experts in the region.

What Syria wants to achieve through negotiations is obvious: returns from Israel, and no less important, from Washington. What Israel wants is also clear: in addition to regional peace, the weakening of the Arab opposition front that is being assisted by Iran and which includes Hezbollah and Hamas. Netanyahu thinks Iran is behind nearly everything, but is hesitant to exercise the leadership required by this conclusion.

In the past, Netanyahu spoke indirectly with Hafez Assad, the late father of the current leader in Damascus, through U.S. businessman Ron Lauder. The contacts failed and there is some dispute over what happened. There is no dispute, however, that seeking peace with Syria, through talks between chiefs of staff and shuttle diplomacy by secretaries of state, is a key element in Yitzhak Rabin's diplomatic legacy, which Netanyahu's defense minister, Ehud Barak, says should be seen through. Rabin's memory should extend beyond flowery speeches, eulogies and arguing over the Oslo process. Energized efforts toward peace with Syria would perpetuate the Rabin legacy.
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  1.   legacy is dead 02:29  |  yechiel 30/10/09
  2.   Wrong assumption number 1 is Syria wants peace, they want Golan. 02:43  |  r 30/10/09
  3.   Only a total peace with arab world is worth pursuing 02:43  |  bernard ross 30/10/09
  4.   Israel should cede ISRAEL for full peace. 02:44  |  DM 30/10/09
  5.   Who says Syria will agree to a "full peace"? 03:04  |  The Prophet 30/10/09
  6.   Ceding Golan 03:06  |  William J Jones 30/10/09
  7.   Israel should return golan for full peace with syria 03:07  |  Voice of reason 30/10/09
  8.   There is no two ways about it 03:20  |  Johnboy 30/10/09
  9.   Are you crazy? 03:29  |  Nathan 30/10/09
  10.   And It Would Improve Ties With Turkey... 03:41  |  Yosemite 30/10/09
  11.   Cede the Galilee, too, and increase the chances of peace 03:55  |  Steve of Mevaserret 30/10/09
  12.   Editorial / Israel should cede Golan for full peace with Syria 04:37  |  fu...h 30/10/09
  13.   Well, that is a no-brainer....And secondly how..... 04:53  |  Lou Medel 30/10/09
  14.   cede and cede and cede 05:08  |  Shmuelshachor 30/10/09
  15.   Sensible, returning the Golan will be necessary... 05:15  |  BBSNews 30/10/09
  16.   Have you lost your mind??? 05:20  |  Anshel 30/10/09
  17.   Dum da dah da Dumb 05:46  |  Dan 30/10/09
  18.   Haaretz is Nuts!!! 05:52  |  Edward 30/10/09
  19.   Israel should cede Haaretz newspaper instead 06:11  |  simpleman 30/10/09
  20.   Remember 06:17  |  Yair 30/10/09
  21.   How many times? 06:23  |  ed 30/10/09
  22.   Gaza # 2 06:24  |  Tod Celman 30/10/09
  23.   Think again 06:28  |  Joshua 30/10/09
  24.   Never cede the Golan Heights! 06:33  |  Meir M 30/10/09
  25.   Returning the Golan to Syria 06:44  |  Leo Staschover 30/10/09
  26.   Editorial about ceding the Golan 06:45  |  fredyr 30/10/09
  27.   a new interpretation 06:45  |  ron 30/10/09
  28.   This is really Dumb 06:56  |  Hesh 30/10/09
  29.   the problem is ego and climbing back down off the limbs 07:08  |  peace monger 30/10/09
  30.   How about,say, cede Haifa for dismantling Iran`s nukes ? 11:34  |  Cede Foryou 30/10/09
  31.   To Yair 11:45  |  John 30/10/09
  32.   Who says Syria will agree to a "full peace"? 12:24  |  The Prophet 30/10/09
  33.   Buy yourself a used car. 12:30  |  Ami ben Abraam 30/10/09
  34.   Syria 12:40  |  Yermi Kates 30/10/09
  35.   We are at peace with Syria ! 12:53  |  Trumpeldor 30/10/09
  36.   Nonbelievable deranged nonsense 12:53  |  Paul 30/10/09
  37.   Never a mention of the "displaced" people of Golan. Why? 12:59  |  Tcherkessi 30/10/09
  38.   Smoke Signals 13:29  |  Mark Lincoln 30/10/09
  39.   Can someone please translate post #1 please 21:12  |  Czarkazem13 30/10/09
  40.   Do you know what the Golan represents ?? 23:29  |  Arnold 30/10/09
  41.   Giving Golan back to Syria,would open another path for Iran. 00:33  |  Sarah 31/10/09
  42.   It does not matter, you must consider the whole 00:46  |  Dennis MI V 31/10/09
  43.   The best-laid plans 01:28  |  Morris Valentine 31/10/09
  44.   Arnold, remember Moshe Dayan? 02:03  |  BBSNews 31/10/09
  45.   Ron # 16 Khartoum is an old interpretation 02:38  |  ANY 31/10/09
  46.   Syria, a member of the Arab League, will become a peaceful 04:00  |  Smadar 31/10/09
  47.   Mitzpe LeShalom 04:57  |  Steve of Mevaserret 31/10/09
  48.   Galilee is Indefensible Without the Golan 06:03  |  Rick 31/10/09
  49.   #32, Morris Valentine 06:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/10/09
  50.   to Meir M #13 - 2nd try 07:05  |  zeev 31/10/09
  51.   # 21 assad has said so prophet; he has specified it clearly 07:48  |  eric 31/10/09
  52.   Land for paper is a bad exchange 08:39  |  Moshe 31/10/09
  53.   #33 BBS News 08:39  |  Der Zweifler 31/10/09
  54.   the unbelievably shortsighted people who post here 08:41  |  eric 31/10/09
  55.   Get serious now 13:21  |  Paul Dobson 31/10/09
  56.   Morris Valentine -fairy tale history #43 14:12  |  Roo 31/10/09
  57.   Steve#11, imagine how the Galil would have flowered 17:58  |  Esther 31/10/09
  58.   Syria`s demands for the Kinneret 18:25  |  Ilan 31/10/09
  59.   greg3338 18:26  |  Grigoriy Mendelson 31/10/09
  60.   MORRIS VALENTINE TOUCHE` SIR. 19:25  |  Petra 31/10/09
  61.   ISRAEL DOESN`T READ TALK BACKS 19:30  |  Petra 31/10/09
  62.   How about syria should cede the golan for peace? 19:58  |  bo jones 31/10/09
  63.   T0 50: They have eyes but don`t see... 20:31  |  Meir M 31/10/09
  64.   Der Zweifler why bizarre? 20:42  |  ibsen 31/10/09
  65.   Returning the Golan & Peace Treaty only Answer 21:16  |  Stephen 31/10/09
  66.   Giving up the Golan would harm Israel not benefit it 21:43  |  zionist forever 31/10/09
  67.   Sensible, USA to cede Charlotte and BBSnews to return home 23:20  |  Joe Sittizen 31/10/09
  68.   R when will Israel invade India ? 23:31  |  Truth 31/10/09
  69.   there will be never peace with arabs 23:35  |  Daniela 31/10/09
  70.   to Meir M #62 23:41  |  zeev 31/10/09
  71.   #63 Ibsen 23:42  |  Der Zweifler 31/10/09
  72.   to Edward #18 - 3rd try 23:47  |  zeev 31/10/09
  73.   Every few months Haaretz runs this tired story 01:08  |  Gee 01/11/09
  74.   War by other means. 02:12  |  Stephen in New York 01/11/09
  75.   #2 02:17  |  wolfson 01/11/09
  76.   War by other means. 02:18  |  Stephen in New York 01/11/09
  77.   Israel should give the Golan to Syria, but with conditions 02:44  |  Adrian 01/11/09
  78.   Smadar 03:04  |  Malone 01/11/09
  79.   Reread the U.N.S.C resolutions 03:46  |  howiej 01/11/09
  80.   Assad Has Work to Do 05:24  |  Ron 01/11/09
  81.   golan heights 08:54  |  Thabiet 01/11/09
  82.   #79 how would giving back the golan be suicidal, howiej? 19:14  |  eric 01/11/09
  83.   Can may Syria lose the terrorist helper role model 22:31  |  M. S. 01/11/09
  84.   Der Zweifler -NO OFFER MADE- #71 23:07  |  ibsen 01/11/09
  85.   #79 how would giving back the golan be suicidal, howiej? 00:15  |  eric 02/11/09
  86.   to bo jones #62 03:16  |  zeev 02/11/09
  87.   #79 how would giving back the golan be suicidal, howiej? 07:29  |  eric 02/11/09
  88.   #84 ibsen 21:12  |  Der Zweifler 02/11/09
  89.   Ibsen continued 22:01  |  Der Zweifler 02/11/09
  90.   Ibsen, update, second attempt 13:25  |  Der Zweifler 03/11/09
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