Peace will be found in Damascus, not Ramallah

All Palestinians, from west bank, Gaza carrying Jordanian passports will be canceled and withdrawn, same things like Egypt and other arab countries. No nationality

The author of this article has equated not making peace with Syria with "criminal negligence." It says this in the last paragraph. Syria is arming Hezbullah, hosting Hamas and other like minded groups in Damascus, and a few years ago had a nuclear reactor with North Koreans in it. While I agree that the chance for war is very high for Israel based on its neighbors, Israel has achieved internal security. The seemingly only realistic approach here is to continue adapting and progressing on internal security and continue to prepare for war, while taking it to the other side in continued clandestine approaches, while doing the best Israel can in a world full of complex politics.

"Coordinated unilateral processes must be launched that will constrict the occupation while building a new Palestinian society." Mr. Shavit, let them take care of their own society while you think of ways to build a new Israeli society on land that is legally ours. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. You said it yourself, although you dressed it up to look trendy. It's almost midnight and you still haven't understood. Peace will not be found, it has to be made. And there will be no peace unless you talk to the people you need to make peace with most. That isn't Syria, Jordan or Egypt, but the Palestinians. The Syrians will fall into place once that is done. They've said so, and the other two have promised warmer relations once this is done. Time to take off the mascara, the wig and the false nails and dig out those files and maps.

supervised by the UN. Since the Yom Kippur war, there has been no volation of the armistice agreement on either side.

I am astounded and frightened by those who want to return the Golan to Syria. That would be a catastrophic mistake that could harm Israel terribly. Assad's three best friends are Hezbollah, who he has sent thousands of tons of Iranian arms, Hamas, who's head is based in Damascus, and the terrorist State of Iran that calls for Israel's annihilation. Assad has repeatedly stated he would not end ties with these three terrorist entities so why on earth would any sane Israeli return the Golan to him?

The Syrian dictatorship is not looking for peace with Israel at the moment. Its Foriegn Minister only a few days ago threatened to attack Israeli cities in the event that the Iranian Mullah succeeds in his efforts to provoke another proxy war. The absolute priority for Israel at the moment is to enhance its deterrence so that no enemy will be tempted to risk suicide. Peace is unlikely to break out in the Middle East until there is a democratic regime change in Iran. In the mean time there are many things that Israel and other free countries can do to help the Iranian people reclaim their country from the Revolutionary Guard occupation and the mullah dictatorship.

The Syrian dictatorship is not looking for peace with Israel at the moment. Its Foriegn Minister only a few days ago threatened to attack Israeli cities in the event that the Iranian Mullah succeeds in his efforts to provoke another proxy war. The absolute priority for Israel at the moment is to enhance its deterrence so that no enemy will be tempted to risk suicide. Peace is unlikely to break out in the Middle East until there is a democratic regime change in Iran. In the mean time there are many things that Israel and other free countries can do to help the Iranian people reclaim their country from the Revolutionary Guard occupation and the mullah dictatorship.

very funny always blame everyone else... unbelıevable only thıng ıs for sure thıs can not go lıke thıs and petra we turks always gonna support your existence despite the fact that we are not friend anymore you people make so easıly enemy out of your friends and blındly support whatever israel does and thıs is wrong ı hope that you realıze thıs before its too late lastly PM erdogan never ınsulted israel or ıts people but criticized her acts ın gaza but you trıed to humılıate representatıve of people of turkey

This is different.Although I don't see things in the same light and ultimately believe,that too much will be demanded of Israel,for her to be able to close a deal,at least I can ascertain the sense in what Ari Shavit is saying. He is a worthy counterpoint to the right and unlike his Bolshevik fire-and-brimstone spouting colleague,whom I shall not name,a man of culture and distinction. Keep the dialogue going Mr. Shavit.You're doing a necessary and good job.

This is different.Although I don't see things in the same light and ultimately believe,that too much will be demanded of Israel,for her to be able to close a deal,at least I can ascertain the sense in what Ari Shavit is saying. He is a worthy counterpoint to the right and unlike his Bolshevik fire-and-brimstone spouting colleague,whom I shall not name,a man of culture and distinction. Keep the dialogue going Mr. Shavit.You're doing a necessary and good job.

No more Hamas and Hizb to threat peace.

I wouldn't have any libido either if 'Peace' is used as a metaphor of further stealing land, further expansion of settlement, further imposures of collective punishment, the creation of ghettos called Area A, including curfew times on permits for people that live in them, further justification on the rights of the chosen people to steal from the non-so chosen people. Gimme a break, go fool yourself, Mr. Shavit.

Mr.Shavit is seeking to sell the same old product, something that has been tried and tested but failed miserably in the past. Israel tried several times to play off the Syrians and the Palestinians to the detriment of a lasting peace. Israel knows exactly what it needs to do if it really want to have peace with its neighbors including the Syrians. Start pulling out of all occupied land including the Golan Heights, the West Bank including East Jerusalem and stop waiting time talking about libido, gay men and teenage girls with a crush. Israel says it wants peace but want this peace on its own terms as if Israelis never heard of the saying you can't keep your cake and eat it or no such thing as free lunch

Like Turkey wanting 'good relations' with Israel after her PM publicly insulted Israel. Good luck with that. No one trusts Syria to make peace with Israel. No one but a fool.

Like Turkey wanting 'good relations' with Israel after her PM publicly insulted Israel. Good luck with that. No one trusts Syria to make peace with Israel. No one but a fool.

that assad wants syria out from under iran's shadow, and that peace with israel is one step toward that end. the other step is closer relations with the u.s. that lead to certain military assurances for him...something without which, his breaking ties with iran would leave him extremely vulnerable.

If there is peace Assad will loos the only justification he has to hang on to power and to rape Lebanon and Syria. What exactly peace will give him in return? That is why I believe prospects of peace with Assad = Prospects with PA = Zero. Both need cold war to go on, so one can continue milking International community, while the other raping Lebanon and Syria.

I have not read such a realistic article in Haaretz for a long time. All those people grumbling above are simply ignorant of the truth; mostly, the lies the Palestinian children and youth are told by the hierarchy; also believed by all the Jew-haters above.

peace but insanity. Syria harbors terrorists. Syria finances terrorism. Syria backs, Iran, the Palestinians and Hezbollah. Syria shows no intention of changing these policies and this kind of peace is sure to bring nothing but trouble and destruction for Israel. As for the Golan, is there an Israeli leader foolish enough or stupid enough to hand it over to the Syrians? Yes , there was Olmert and Livni but they are now bad history. Has Gaza taught Israel nothing ? Syria is the ear of a swine and hopeful wishing will not make Syria into a silk purse !

"they were invited to the bedroom but never showed up. They're simply not interested. Peace just doesn't do it for them. The two-state solution doesn't turn them on. But the peaceniks still don't get what their non-partner has made clear in a thousand and one ways. They go on stalking someone who has no interest in them. They want to be loved by someone who has no love to give." Yes, the slight trouble with Ari's obscene romantic metaphor is that Israel isn't gently wooing Palestine from afar with sweet words and a few well-penned letters. It's forces and settlers are shoved right inside Palestine. It's a bit like a rapist holding out flowers during the act and saying 'love me'. Israel still doesn't seem to understand the basic fact that it has no right to be in the West Bank at all, over 40 years after 1967, it has no right to be colonising and oppressing. It shouldn't seek to woo at this point. It should just say sorry and get out.

Talk,talk,talk but pay attention to the sound common sense of Dr Salam Fayyad.He will triumph in his way of quietly doing things in the correct way.

... the whole setup is Bibi's escape hatch... it goes hot-and-cool from day-to-day with either Pals or Assad... while Bibi's apparent interest bounces from one-to-the-other, only one thing is certain: settlements thrive in all directions...

We supposedly have a wonderful peace, at least with the Egyptian dictator and his army. Only this morning we have read that the Egyptian Journalist Union continues to disregard the signed peace, by outrageously punishing two journalists who had "communicated" with Israel. Does this sound like peace? This is Egypt, one of the freest of Arab states, at least relative to the feudal despotic others in the region. Periodically some well connected folks and Barak in Israel push for the Syrian track, which has bared less fruit or as little as talks with LebaNON and the Pals. I do not trust Syria and nor do her Arab neighbors. As for the Turks involvment, they simply cannot be trusted while ruled by Edrogen, who is but seeking to re-extend the empire.

Do you think by opening the peace talks with Israel that Syria will distance itself from his Big Brother Iran and his young brother Hizballah. As long as Iran is not neutralized in its quest for ME dominance,no Golan peace talks will bear fruit.

Great article. Even though the Defense Establishment prefers peace with Syria, the Political Clique believes that Syria is a puppet of Mr.Ahmadinejad. The "Matchmaker", needs to be consulted. The dowry will no doubt be the Golan. That appears to be the stumbling block. A demilitarized Golan could well be the answer. That is if one can trust the Syrians. Good day.

by improving its overall security and by boosting the economies of both countries, and quite probably lebanon's as well. it would also most likely jump start a final peace with the palestinians.

Israel and Palestine need to coexist, and it's a shameless, baseless distortion to claim that the Palestinians don't want peace. The settlements and continued annexation of Palestinian land are a testament to Israel's peaceful intentions. Of course Israel has now laid the foundation for the inevitable - one binational state which protects and supports all its citizens. The 'Syrian Track' is meaningless without resolving the conflict with the people who Israel has dispossessed in the first place.

Israels supporters are fond of listing all of the great deals Israel has offered for peace in the past, and how the Palestinians woulda/shoulda/coulda taken advantage of Israels generosity. The fact is that no peace talk has ever gotten to the serious stage in which the real terms came to light. All Israel has offered is talk and we all know that there is frequently miles and miles of blue sky between Israels words and Israels deeds. In a world that often mistakes peace talks for peace progress, Israels challenge is to find a new wrinkle on seeming to embrace peace while privately sabotaging it. To really strain our credulity, we have Bibi, of all people presenting himself as the peace maker. Notice the smirk on his face. Give us a break!

really genuine - not from the Oslo time to the present by Israel. It's like trusting a perpetual philanderer to a commitment? Who are we kidding? Who has been habitually avoiding the "conception" of a Palestinian state? Only last year did right-wing Likud a la PM Benjamin Netanyahu, articulate the "conception" of a Palestinian state, and under international pressure. The Palestinians have unequivocally stated: a) two states side-by-side based on the 1967 lines more or less b) settlement construction in West Bank & Gaza from conquered territory in the wars is illegal based on international law c) East Jerusalem as their capital d) a fair agreement to address some Palestinian refugees' return or compensation. The Palestinians are following the agreement of the Road Map which Israel has to fulfill the terms as well. If there's ever going to be a union of understandings and peace agreement, then mutual respect of one another as a people with rights is only fundamental.

The title is absolutely right on the nail. Why do we need to invite the far away countries to have an influence on Israel, Syria and the Palestine? It is like saying that we the Israelis have the upper hand with weapon technologies? so bring the war on.

Israel must learn how to win peace if it's to survive. It's easier to make peace with Damascus first. Then the rest will come around. Israel knows that but it doesn't want to use this card or it will have no cause for future aid. Smart yet dumb.

After 20 years like the author says the only conclusion is to constrict the occupation? What about Accountability? Constrict as in manage? Manage until what? The foreseeable future? How long is that? Until when there is no more two state solution possible because of the colonial mindset of the state? By not giving the Palestinians a state Israel is intentionally working against its own self interest of being a "Jewish Democratic" state. What is the state going to do when the colonists outnumber the Palestinians? I guess they will accomplish the goal of a Jewish democratic state? Where the Palestinians hold what kind of status? Citizens of Israel? Equal citizens? The strongest resistance Israel faces seems to come not from the Arab world, but its insistence on expanding and ?grabbing hilltops? while the Palestinians are marginalized, subjugated and robbed of the very dream on which political Zionism found any legitimacy with post holocaust Jewry, a home, a place to belong, self d-ter-

peace by stopping settlement expansion, recognizing that Israel's creation created the Palestinian refugee problem, and offers some kind of compensation rather than a return to Israel. If Ari Shavit were a Palestinian or a Syrian, would he believe Netanyahu's claims that he wants peace when he promises settlement expansion at the end of the so-called freeze? Lets face reality, all Israel wants is the Palestinian and Syrian lands without any Palestinians or Syrians.

"Peace will be found in Damascus, not Ramallah" - Ari Shavit and Haaretz The ONLY place in the mideast opposed to peace is Jerusalem. ONLY Israel opposes peace in the mideast. Why? Because only continued war can permit the annexation of Judea and Samaria.

"The problem is basically political." The problem is this: 1) Syria insists that Bibi ALREADY accepted the principle that peace requires a withdrawal from the Golan. 2) Netanyahu wants to renege, because he can't survive the political backlash of giving back the Golan. If this impasse continues then Bibi will leave the Syrians with no real choice i.e. they will eventually have to take back the Golan by force of arms, because Israel refuses to give it back via negotiations.

Israel: Wanna talk about peace? Pal: I want to talk about my land, yes. Israel: No, I only want to talk about peace. Pal: There can be no peace without my land. Waddle, waddle, waddle. Israel: Wanna talk about peace? Syria: I want to talk about my land, yes. Israel: No, I only want to talk about peace. Syria: There can be no peace without my land. Waddle, waddle, waddle.... Israel has territorial ambitions, and it thinks that if it wraps that greed up in paper marked "peace" then it has the moral high ground. Yet when it comes time to unwrap that paper and peer inside Israel suddenly want to get up and waddles across the room. Take care, because one day someone will trip up Israel and mug it while its down. After all, there doesn't appear to be any other way of prising occupied territory from its pudgy little fingers. All Israel wants to do is waddle around the room quacking "Peace! Peace! Won't someone give me some peace!"