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Last update - 00:00 02/05/2008 The Syrian-Palestinian lie By Akiva Eldar Tags: Syria, Israel, PA  Click here for more articles by Akiva Eldar AQABA, Jordan - Last Friday, a few hours after a terrorist killed two Israeli security guards in the West Bank and helicopters chased the launchers of Qassam rockets in the Gaza Strip, a small group of young Israelis and Palestinians sat together in a hotel in Aqaba. A top Jordanian official proudly told the guests, activists of the Seeds of Peace organization, about joint economic projects benefiting all three peoples. During the break, the lecturer led me to a corner and asked, "Can you explain to me why your government is ignoring Jordan and the Arab peace initiative?" Moreover, he asked, "Don't you understand what catastrophe will befall us, both the Jordanians and the Israelis, if you do not reach an arrangement with the Palestinians this year?" Advertisement On Wednesday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had a chance to hear the same thing from higher up. King Abdullah invited Olmert to Amman, to repeat the message of distress he had conveyed to President George W. Bush a few days earlier. You did not need to be a fly on the wall to know what was said at the royal palace. Jordanian Foreign Minister Salah Bashir, who accompanied the king on his visit to the U.S., warned Jewish activists in New York that missing the opportunity to strike a peace deal this year "will affect us all." The Jordanian officials did not mean peace between Israel and Syria. In his book "The Much Too Promised Land," Aaron David Miller, who was deputy head of the U.S. Israeli-Palestinian peace team, writes that in the days of Yitzhak Rabin's government, the "Syria first" approach ended in deep disappointment. Under Ehud Barak, Miller claims, the same approach led both to the blocking of the Israel-Syria channel and a crisis between Israel and the Palestinians. Olmert's attempt to reopen the Syrian channel at the expense of the talks with the Palestinians will not only accomplish nothing on either front; with the long arms of Iran and Al-Qaida (a new periodical the organization published in Gaza received the blessing of Ayman al-Zawahiri) reaching every corner of the region, such a move might unsettle even the fragile peace with Jordan and Egypt and bury the Arab peace initiative. According to briefings held by close Olmert associates, there is a race between Olmert's emissaries to Syrian President Bashar Assad and the discreet talks that Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is holding with chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia. Recent reports have portrayed the prime minister as a vigorous statesman without requiring him to pay a political price for it. After Washington publicly exposed the nefarious ties between Syria and North Korea, what are the odds that President Bush will remove Damascus from the "axis of evil"? It is hard to imagine that Olmert believes Assad will cut off his ties to Iran and Hezbollah as long as the U.S. is keeping him outside a locked door. In fact, Olmert is part of a big charade being held for the upcoming visit by President Bush, patron of the Annapolis declaration: "an effort to reach an agreement by the end of 2008." The talk of an alleged breakthrough in the attempts to renew negotiations between Jerusalem and Damascus are nothing more than camouflage for a major setback in Israel's talks with the Palestinians. A deep source in the negotiations revealed this week that the disagreements between the two sides far exceed the points of agreement. It is hard to imagine that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be tempted to embrace the Israeli proposal, which requires the Palestinians to give up 8 percent of the West Bank (for compensation of no more than 2 percent) and to agree to Israeli sovereignty over the Holy Basin in Jerusalem, including the Old City, as well as to mere crumbs on the refugee issue (family unification for 10,000 people). All while Israel continues to enlarge outposts and add roadblocks. When the negotiations with the Palestinians come to a noisy end, and Hamas, having obtained calm in Gaza, drives the remnants of the "two-state camp" out of the Muqata in Ramallah, the balloon of the Turkish-mediated romance with Syria will also pop loudly. The supposed negotiations in two simultaneous channels will become a case of double Israeli recalcitrance. Assad will wave around his fruitless wooing of Olmert and the violation of the Annapolis declaration. He will call for the implementation of the Arab League's Damascus declaration from March, he will claim that the peace initiative with Israel must be reexamined, and he will demand that Egypt and Jordan adhere to the standard of making normalization with the Jewish State conditional on its withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 borders. That is the danger of which King Abdullah spoke to Bush. That is why he invited Olmert to Amman. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Holocaust remembrance Host of UN Holocaust memorial skips event after U.S. Jews threaten walk-out. Obama on Arab TV WATCH: In interview with Al-Arabiya Obama urges Palestinians, Israel to talk.   1.   Change is on the way 09:56  |  Natallie Durson 02/05/08   2.   Natalie 10:51  |  Reid 02/05/08   3.   Same old same old Israel 11:19  |  Marilyn 02/05/08   4.   Reid .. Thanks for the attention 11:47  |  Natallie Durson 02/05/08   5.   akiva eldar and uri saguy " we love syria to pieces" 12:31  |  harzion 02/05/08   6.   if iran is encouraging terrorists then two can play the game 12:35  |  zimri 02/05/08   7.   akiva eldar has no credibility 13:28  |  harzion 02/05/08   8.   #1 15:07  |  Buzaglow 02/05/08   9.   Natallie durson .. are you asleep 15:53  |  Truth 02/05/08   10.   Facts for Nathalie 15:57  |  daniel 02/05/08   11.   wasn`t it mr. eldar who wrote in january 2007... 16:31  |  saul a. readner 02/05/08   12.   Natalie - you go girl! 16:35  |  Bob 02/05/08   13.   Syria/Egypt 19:04  |  Paul 02/05/08   14.   Every body wants to be a big shot RIGHT ??? 19:12  |  M. S. 02/05/08   15.   peas talks 19:36  |  Ben 02/05/08   16.   Eldar - He Does Not Approve of Lies ? 21:56  |  Tod Zuckerman 02/05/08   17.   to Reid #2 - how to convince people 23:00  |  zeev 02/05/08   18.   to Tod Zuckerman #9 - mistaken 23:43  |  zeev 02/05/08   19.   Reply To Zeev - #10 01:08  |  Tod Zuckerman 03/05/08   20.   Natallie - Sorry for not enough Jewish fatalaties 02:34  |  Shafrir Yisraeli 03/05/08   21.   to saul a. readner #11 08:13  |  zeev 03/05/08   22.   zeev 10:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/05/08   23.   to Tod Zuckerman #19 - still mistaken 14:30  |  zeev 03/05/08   24.   to CJ Kohn #22 14:46  |  zeev 03/05/08   25.   Facts for daniel #10 18:22  |  zeev 03/05/08   26.   Crunch time for Israel and Jordan 14:42  |  d singer 05/05/08

Read & React IAF strikes Hamas tunnels in response to Gaza border blast Responses: 43 Editorial: Obama must let Israeli voters know he won't allow settlement building Responses: 15 Iran arms ship released by U.S. Navy now 'sailing to Syria' Responses: 44 Eyal Benvenisti: Independent probe of alleged Gaza war crimes needed now Responses: 9 Hamas captives tell Shin Bet: We used Gaza mosques to hide arms, for training Responses: 25 More Headlines 13:29 In Egypt, Obama envoy says extending Gaza truce is 'critical' 13:54 Israel expels Venezuelan embassy staff, cuts ties with Chavez 10:48 Gaza rocket hits Negev; IAF strikes Hamas tunnels after soldier killed 10:05 Top UN official blasts Hamas for 'cynical' use of civilian facilities 09:43 ANALYSIS / Border blast demands strong - but not excessive - Israeli response 13:19 Pope reaffirms 'solidarity' with Jews amid row over bishop who denied Holocaust 10:46 Iran arms ship released by U.S. Navy now 'sailing to Syria' 13:55 Report: IDF probing racist graffiti left by soldiers in Gaza 12:15 Hamas captives tell Shin Bet: We used Gaza mosques to hide arms, for training 12:15 Who puts up a mezuzah in space? A Jewish astronaut 13:41 Palestinians back to work on tunnels after IAF bombing 11:30 Ahmadinejad: Obama must apologize to Iran if he really wants change 13:04 IDF censures officer for distributing incendiary religious pamphlets to troops 10:57 Peace Now: Israel settlement building accelerated in 2008 10:20 Top IDF reserve officer: Israel passed up 'historic opportunity' in Gaza 07:46 Abbas to tell visiting U.S. envoy: Israel does not want peace 07:29 For some young visitors, Holocaust exhibit on righteous Muslims calls up thoughts of Gaza 01:44 Family keeps name private of IDF tracker slain on Gaza border 00:38 Europe suggests joint PA and Israel transport office 06:23 Judge says evidence suggests mother involved in murder of 4-year-old Rose Previous Editions Select Day 27 jan 26 jan 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan

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