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Last update - 09:52 24/04/2008 Don't be afraid of peace with Syria By Haaretz Editorial Tags: Syria, axis of evil  Peace with Syria is once again knocking at our door, and it even seems to be meeting with a less-frosty reception on the Israeli side. The time is ripe for negotiations with Syria, especially since U.S. President George W. Bush's reign is drawing to a close, and among his potential successors, whether Democrat or Republican, there is a willingness to negotiate with Bashar Assad instead of boycotting him. John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama all see a peace agreement between Israel and Syria as a recipe for relieving tension in the region. Removing Syria from the axis of evil might shuffle the Middle Eastern deck once again, breaking alliances and creating new interests. Israel can reap greater security from a new situation of that kind. There seems to be a need to repeat, over and over, this basic fact: Nothing contributes to Israel's security more than a peace accord. Before the protests of solidarity with the Golan Heights begin, it should be emphasized that withdrawal from the Golan in exchange for peace is endorsed not only by bleeding hearts, but by distinctly security-minded figures. The supporters of the Golan are West Bank settlers, like Golan resident Effi Eitam, who see any withdrawal as a national catastrophe; parties that gain strength by sowing security-related fears, such as Israel Beiteinu; those with economic interests in the region, hikers, bird-watchers, wine connoisseurs and winemakers; and mainly the people of the past, who still consider the lookout point on Mount Hermon to be "Israel's eyes," even though those eyes did not prove a very effective source of warning in 1973. Today, neither advance warning nor deterrence rely on the "Alpinists" (the elite IDF unit trained for snow operations), and the missile war expected in the future is not affected by natural boundaries, whether of the flowing or the ascending kind. Advertisement Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu have all supported withdrawing from the Golan Heights in exchange for peace and security arrangements, and they all worked to obtain such an agreement. Whether or not the current government is capable of carrying out a historical move that entails territorial concessions is a question of leadership ability. Peace is not a commodity in high demand when the border is quiet, but peace with Syria might open up the possibility of regional peace by changing the balance of interests in the area. If there is truth in recent reports that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sent Assad, through the Turkish prime minister, a message concerning his willingness to withdraw from all of the Golan Heights in exchange for peace, it is clear that most of the negotiations will not involve the withdrawal itself, but rather the attendant security arrangements. In an article in the newspaper al-Hayat, published in London, Dr. Fawzi Shoaibi, head of the Data and Strategic Studies Centre in Syria and a close consultant of Assad, writes, "The time has come to break through the Syrian-Israeli channel." Assad himself said in July 2007 that he was waiting for Israel to make an official and public announcement of its willingness to withdraw from the entire Golan Heights, so that the talks could focus only on the security arrangements. The cost of peace with Syria has been known for years, and there is no reason to be alarmed by it. The security advantages of peace are greater than the strategic value of the Golan Heights. The problem is that even within Kadima, Olmert's party, it is hard to locate sufficient support for this welcome move by the prime minister. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Jet error Israeli warplanes come close to shooting down Tony Blair's plane. Rehab (live) Report: Singer Amy Winehouse is to undergo drug rehab in Israel.   1.   Syria is not about to cut its relations with Iran 10:03  |  Shalom Freedman 24/04/08   2.   If there is peace with Syria, thank Iran 10:27  |  Natallie Durson 24/04/08   3.   NO REASON IN THE WORLD TO GIVE UP GOLAN HTS!!!! 10:33  |  Dr Eric 24/04/08   4.   SAY --- NO WAY to giving up GOLAN HTS!!! 10:38  |  Dr Eric 24/04/08   5.   NO WAY to Giving away Golan!!! 10:41  |  Dr Eric 24/04/08   6.   This article simply states a self evident truth 10:44  |  S 24/04/08   7.   Bibi never supported giving up golan!! 10:45  |  Dr Eric 24/04/08   8.   Peace for Peace!!! 10:49  |  Dr Eric 24/04/08   9.   Why does Syria need the Golan??? 10:49  |  Dr Eric 24/04/08   10.   The question is will a real peace come in return for the Golan 11:15  |  David G 24/04/08   11.   Peace with Syria? Figure the odds. 11:17  |  Natallie Durson 24/04/08   12.   #11 Natalie Durson 11:59  |  Said 24/04/08   13.   haaretz "removing syria from the axis of evil" 12:11  |  harzion 24/04/08   14.   Are you on crack? 12:15  |  Burned Liberal 24/04/08   15.   removing Syria from "the axis of evil".. 12:28  |  otiwa ogede 24/04/08   16.   Why Syria needs the golan Dr. Eric 12:43  |  Phil 24/04/08   17.   GOLAN HTS 12:48  |  Ben Ami 24/04/08   18.   phil - long range missles???? 13:02  |  Dr eric 24/04/08   19.   Phil golan is syrian sovereignty???? 13:05  |  dr eric 24/04/08   20.   Phil - If you start a war and lose -you pay a price!!! 13:06  |  Dr eric 24/04/08   21.   The golan is Israeli territory by law - CHOK HAGOLAN!!! 13:09  |  dr eric 24/04/08   22.   Syria could deploy iranian weapons on the israeli border 13:41  |  Aounist 24/04/08   23.   assad will require that zio-state withdrew from golan before 14:01  |  listen 24/04/08   24.   Only returned if demilitarized by treaty, with UN presence 14:06  |  dyinglikeflies 24/04/08   25.   What kind of peace? 14:07  |  Matthias Roth 24/04/08   26.   Dr Eric 14:19  |  Phil 24/04/08   27.   Israel won the Golan fair and square in a defensive war 14:53  |  Jason 24/04/08   28.   "The Axis of Evil" just as unacceptable rethoric 15:02  |  AliciaYasmeen 24/04/08   29.   "NO" to ceding Golan! This is my personal protest-voice 15:19  |  AliciaYasmeen 24/04/08   30.   Removing Haaretz from the `axis of evil` 15:45  |  Ilan 24/04/08   31.   jason the might makes right dolt 15:49  |  4th geneva conventio 24/04/08   32.   UN Resolution 242 say golan is illegally occupied 15:54  |  jason get a clue 24/04/08   33.   price for peace 16:05  |  matt 24/04/08   34.   Issue of making peace with Syria cannot be entrusted to Olmert... 16:07  |  bat yam 24/04/08   35.   While you`re at it... 16:40  |  John 24/04/08   36.   Natallie Durson # 11 yes there will be no deal 16:41  |  American in NY 24/04/08   37.   #32 JASON; the Arabs´attack in-67 was not illegal? 16:54  |  Get a clue! 24/04/08   38.   #32 have you tried reading 242? 16:59  |  v hardman 24/04/08   39.   How to deal with the northern problem 17:07  |  Tosefta 24/04/08   40.   Don`t be afraid of peace with Syria 17:35  |  Cez 24/04/08   41.   Don`t be afraid of peace with Syria 17:35  |  Cez 24/04/08   42.   Bombed in Far & Near East peace treaties? 17:35  |  H.H.M 24/04/08   43.   Is "peace knocking at the door"? 17:39  |  Realist 24/04/08   44.   Peace with syria Joke 17:40  |  robert 24/04/08   45.   #32: Why not quote the resolution? 18:14  |  Naftush 24/04/08   46.   For a change Natallie is Right 18:16  |  Ari 24/04/08   47.   jason get a clue #32 18:37  |  Gee 24/04/08   48.   Was Syria in the Axis of Evil ?? !! 18:57  |  Iranian-American 24/04/08   49.   How to deal with the northern problem 19:09  |  Tosefta 24/04/08   50.   Syria retaking Golan in defensive war started by Israel 19:23  |  Pablo B 24/04/08   51.   Obviously the smart thing to do 19:55  |  Colin Wright 24/04/08   52.   #1 Countries have different relationships 20:02  |  Dutch 24/04/08   53.   Jews and Racism 20:08  |  David 24/04/08   54.   tosefta "pursue peace with syria" 20:20  |  harzion 24/04/08   55.   tosefta how would syria cutting its ties to iran 20:24  |  harzion 24/04/08   56.   tosefta who in the idf is for giving up the golan 20:30  |  harzion 24/04/08   57.   If Syria wants a peace treaty, let Syria pay for it. 20:31  |  Chaim 24/04/08   58.   #12 said 20:33  |  joki 24/04/08   59.   tosefta "hamas will be kicked out od syria" 20:33  |  harzion 24/04/08   60.   tosefta you are forgetting hizballah represents 35% of the 20:37  |  harzion 24/04/08   61.   raful eitan was asked if he would be happy to trade land 20:41  |  harzion 24/04/08   62.   raful eitan was asked if he would be happy to trade land 20:41  |  harzion 24/04/08   63.   Only The Truth can set us FREE 20:52  |  Shimon Cleopas 24/04/08   64.   tosefta a peace treaty with syria would not solve the 21:16  |  harzion 24/04/08   65.   tosefta if we withdraw to the june 1967 borders 21:19  |  harzion 24/04/08   66.   tosefta a peace with syria would not bring us closer to peace 21:22  |  harzion 24/04/08   67.   tosefta a peace with syria would not solve our problem with 21:25  |  harzion 24/04/08   68.   tosefta since bush does not want us to talk with syria 21:30  |  harzion 24/04/08   69.   Golan Give Up 21:31  |  Eiger Sanction 24/04/08   70.   tosefta to me the most telling question is security 21:49  |  harzion 24/04/08   71.   Really Syria wants peace? 21:55  |  Abner 24/04/08   72.   Return of the shallow multi-headed Hydra/Harzion 22:04  |  Tosefta 24/04/08   73.   you have to think about it seriousely 22:06  |  the syrian 24/04/08   74.   Good suggestion 23:20  |  Gene 24/04/08   75.   Haaretz: We Were Betrayed by the Partner for Peace SYRIA 23:28  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 24/04/08   76.   U.S. Perspective 23:41  |  Bryon 24/04/08   77.   Interesting Compartmental Thinking at Haaretz 23:42  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 24/04/08   78.   Syria is fooling the defeatist Olmert government 05:52  |  Rachel 25/04/08   79.   Not so black and white 07:11  |  or cut and dry 25/04/08   80.   Giving up the Golan for peace 07:56  |  Shira 25/04/08   81.   # 62 Tosefta Please Hear Me Out.. 18:52  |  KATHY 25/04/08   82.   Peace with whom, exactly? 20:00  |  Bob 25/04/08   83.   Sounds great on paper, but . . . 22:23  |  Yisroel 25/04/08   84.   #80 Shira. The Golan is the most peaceful place in Israel. 02:27  |  Chaim 26/04/08   85.   Syria wants the Golan, not peace 10:30  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/04/08   86.   #77, Ovadia ben Avraham 10:38  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/04/08   87.   here is the deal; Israel gives Golan in return for vague promises 10:05  |  former leftist 27/04/08   88.   Syria will Cut Ties with Iran-! 04:08  |  San Diego 25/05/08

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