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To the international border, and no farther
By Alexander Yakobson

The Syrian regime is not currently popular internationally. This lack of popularity, which was caused by the Syrians themselves, works in Israel's favor from various points of view - as was proven by the international ?(non?) response to what reportedly happened recently in Syria's skies.

But let us not delude ourselves: Syria's demand that its sovereignty over the Golan Heights be restored enjoys strong international support - not out of love for Bashar Assad, and not even for love of international law as such, but rather because the stability of recognized international borders is a vital interest of the international community.

The result is that, on one hand, Israel is not being pressured to leave the Golan Heights, but on the other, there is no chance that Israel will ever be able to sign a peace treaty with Syria that includes annexing the Golan or any part of it.

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Therefore, Israel will not lose a thing if it declares its readiness to restore Syrian sovereignty over the Golan when peace comes. Those who believe that there never will be peace with Syria will not have to worry about a declaration of this kind. But those who assume that sooner or later, the two countries will reach an agreement must know that as part of that agreement, Israel will have to leave the heights.

Meanwhile, regardless of the chances of making peace in the near future, it is in Israel's interest to convince the international community that the conflict between the countries does not stem from Israel's desire to control Syrian sovereign territory forever.

This does not mean that the territorial price of an agreement with Syria is known and predetermined. The Syrians do not recognize the international border; they demand that Israel withdraw to the lines of June 4, 1967. The difference between the two lines is minute, but it relates to a vital Israeli interest: control of the shores of Lake Kinneret, to which the Syrians would like to extend their border - even though the entire lakeshore is on the Israeli side of the international border.

This demand cannot be accepted. "Full withdrawal in return for full peace" means putting an end to the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights - not restoring the Syrian occupation of the Galilee, which resulted from the war that Syria launched in 1948 out of opposition to the UN plan to partition Palestine.

Today, because Israel fails to recognize the international border, the impression has been created internationally that Syria is demanding something that belongs to it legally, while Israel is refusing. The truth is that Syria is demanding more than what it is entitled to, while Israel, during the negotiations held by Ehud Barak's government, made a fair and reasonable proposal, which the Syrians rejected.

Under the terms of this proposal, which was made during a meeting between then presidents Bill Clinton and Hafez Assad in Geneva in 2000, Barak suggested the return of the Golan Heights together with an exchange of territory on both sides of the international border. The plan stated that Syria would receive a larger area than Israel, but Israel would continue to control, and even strengthen its control over, the shores of Lake Kinneret.

The claim that Barak took fright at the last minute and missed the opportunity for peace with Syria refers to what happened during an intermediate stage of the negotiations, which took place in Shepherdstown. But the talks did not end there; they ended in Geneva, where Assad vociferously rejected any agreement that would not bring the Syrians to the shores of Lake Kinneret.

In this way, Israel first renounced the Golan in negotiations, and then renounced the political advantages of this concession. The first concession was essential, and from the diplomatic point of view, it cannot be retrieved. The second concession was totally unnecessary.
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  1.   never tip your hand 10:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/09/07
  2.   UMM RASHRASH belongs to Egypt 10:51  |  indrajaya 24/09/07
  3.   we can live with the present border 11:00  |  joe 24/09/07
  4.   just forgot 11:05  |  joe 24/09/07
  5.   The attack of the bipolar Israelis 11:14  |  Natallie Durson 24/09/07
  6.   They don`t want the Golan!!!!! 11:30  |  Free Arab 24/09/07
  7.   Golan 11:38  |  Rabbi Izzy Lahm 24/09/07
  8.   Exactly Right [1] 11:39  |  ARTH 24/09/07
  9.   Why is that the only alternative? 11:44  |  Eric 24/09/07
  10.   Exactly Right [2] 11:47  |  ARTH 24/09/07
  11.   Exactly Right [3] 11:52  |  ARTH 24/09/07
  12.   The Golan should not be offered....yet 11:56  |  Slibovitz 24/09/07
  13.   Stockhom Syndrome 11:59  |  Jacob for TRUTH 24/09/07
  14.   Forgot-ONE important FACT 12:01  |  Jacob for TRUTH 24/09/07
  15.   to ERIC 12:05  |  Jacob for TRUTH 24/09/07
  16.   Syrian Golan will be freed in one way or the other... 12:06  |  ME Observer 24/09/07
  17.   To indrajaya 12:11  |  Jacob for TRUTH 24/09/07
  18.   Response to #9 12:12  |  ARTH 24/09/07
  19.   Does anybody remember what happpen in Gush Katif? 12:17  |  Jacob for TRUTH 24/09/07
  20.   There can be a middle way 12:20  |  Israeli 24/09/07
  21.   Yakobson and the posters on here are missing 1 important point 12:49  |  Ken Jurist 24/09/07
  22.   reoccupy? 13:29  |  ravi 24/09/07
  23.   7.... dear rabbi 13:31  |  ravi 24/09/07
  24.   !946 Syria Occupied The Golan 13:38  |  Jacob for TRUTH 24/09/07
  25.   the golan is israeli land 14:14  |  disisraeli 24/09/07
  26.   ravi 14:27  |  Israeli 24/09/07
  27.   Um rashrash, Shabaa Farms, and Golan..... to be freed SOON 14:35  |  ME Observer 24/09/07
  28.   What is international border? Sykes-Picot line? 14:35  |  DJStahl 24/09/07
  29.   Rabbi Izzy Lahm .Some humility in order 15:02  |  Lyall Dellin 24/09/07
  30.   "international law - whats that?" how about surviveability 15:06  |  nehemia dB 24/09/07
  31.   #21 On the border between Palestine and Syria 15:14  |  Johnboy 24/09/07
  32.   The world community? 15:17  |  John Allen 24/09/07
  33.   #21 On the border between Turkey and Syria 15:23  |  Johnboy 24/09/07
  34.   Ken Jurist Post #21 is right on the money 15:30  |  Davio Stoler 24/09/07
  35.   Syrian "sovereignty" over Golan is artificial 15:36  |  Reuven 24/09/07
  36.   Too much 15:44  |  Gee 24/09/07
  37.   The Golan 15:44  |  John Saul 24/09/07
  38.   To ME observer 16:02  |  still laughing 24/09/07
  39.   What is ours, is ours. What is not should be returned. 16:04  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 24/09/07
  40.   John Saul 16:06  |  sorry to inform you 24/09/07
  41.   Good Idea 16:15  |  Danite 24/09/07
  42.   to indrajaya 16:21  |  khairi janbek 24/09/07
  43.   ME observer 16:21  |  Israeli 24/09/07
  44.   CIPORA SHALOM 16:22  |  Danite 24/09/07
  45.   26....wake up 16:26  |  ravi 24/09/07
  46.   The Best Model - Lease it for 50 Years 16:29  |  B`Galil 24/09/07
  47.   Response to Shlomo from Tel-Aviv. #39 16:44  |  Ken Jurist 24/09/07
  48.   this is the best model 16:44  |  levi2 24/09/07
  49.   Re 2 Go home little indrajaya 16:56  |  Alan the real one 24/09/07
  50.   ISRAEL NEEDS TO STOP SURRENDERING TO THE WEAKER ENEMY 17:04  |  zionist forever 24/09/07
  51.   #2 Indrajaya 17:16  |  Eilati 24/09/07
  52.   Golan Heights 17:22  |  khairi janbek 24/09/07
  53.   RE:5 17:25  |  zionist forever 24/09/07
  54.   Do israeli really trust in god? 17:31  |  Kris 24/09/07
  55.   #32 Say John Allen 17:37  |  ballistic 24/09/07
  56.   DJStahl # 28 You`ve Got Me 18:02  |  Jeff Northridge 24/09/07
  57.   Umm-Rashrash versus Golan 18:37  |  Vladimir 24/09/07
  58.   Umm-Rash-Rash vs the Golan, II 18:40  |  Vladimir 24/09/07
  59.   Post #54 - Re: Trust in God 18:59  |  Double Click 24/09/07
  60.   First, The Golan Was Illegally Transferred During the Mandate Per 19:03  |  Chick 24/09/07
  61.   Golan Hts. Syria and peace...... 19:03  |  Shalom 24/09/07
  62.   ravi hates the americans 19:04  |  pundit 24/09/07
  63.   #2 -indrajaya 19:08  |  Oleg 24/09/07
  64.   indrajaya # 2 Where is Umm Rashrash? 19:22  |  Jeff Northridge 24/09/07
  65.   ME Observer, you forgot something 19:26  |  christa 24/09/07
  66.   Water and more water 19:26  |  North American 24/09/07
  67.   To John Saul 19:30  |  christa 24/09/07
  68.   Shalom from the U.S.A. 19:33  |  christa 24/09/07
  69.   Liberate US from Jewish(political)Power 19:51  |  American 24/09/07
  70.   give up? 19:55  |  Woodah 24/09/07
  71.   trumpeldor 20:00  |  to ME observer 24/09/07
  72.   Syria is no peace partner. Their best friend is Iran. Hello? 20:49  |  Jason 24/09/07
  73.   Lyall Dellin 21:01  |  Rabbi Izzy Lahm 24/09/07
  74.   Residents of Golan 21:20  |  Elisheva 24/09/07
  75.   real american: some gall!! some hypocrite! 21:30  |  utagawa 24/09/07
  76.   American 21:34  |  utagawa 24/09/07
  77.   To AY and Crista 21:47  |  John Saul 24/09/07
  78.   #44, Danite 21:49  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 24/09/07
  79.   #32 John Allen invents international laws of his own 21:49  |  Labhras 24/09/07
  80.   # 19 Jacob for TRUTH. To All Your Posts Thank You.. 22:06  |  KATH` 24/09/07
  81.   # 38 still laughing. ME Observer.(LAUGH I NEARLY SPLIT MY SIDES) 22:09  |  KATH` 24/09/07
  82.   i have no doubt those europeans criticising israel 22:13  |  disraeli