Khaddam expelled
Abdul Halim Khaddam, who was Syria's Vice President until June 2005, has been expelled from Syria's ruling party after his rant on Friday.
Blah blah.
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Abdul Halim Khaddam, who was Syria's Vice President until June 2005, has been expelled from Syria's ruling party after his rant on Friday.
Blah blah.
Shalom,
Beautiful blog you have.
In all honesty, I would like to know what the people of Syria, our neighbors, REALLY think about Bashar and about the Baath regime. Do they understand Bashar probably has a hand in the killing of Rafiq?
Do they understand that Syria is behind in every realm because of terror policies? I am really asking, isn't it time to go ahead and make peace with us, to stop all the "hiding" policies of secrecy, terror and backwardness, and to start living in the modern times?
Lehitraot ve shalom
Posted by Anonymous | 9:16 pm
Hi,
Thank you for your contribution and your compliments, please email me - I'm very interested in getting some dialogue going...
lio119@yahoo.com
Sasa.
Posted by sasa | 9:23 pm
Shalom,
Let's begin the dialogue here in your well-designed blog.
I think Syria and Israel can cooperate in many fields, but this may take years, if at all.
I read a lot about your country, about its ancient heritage, about the people, about the Baath party. (I also think Asma Al Assad is one of the prettiest women alive;...).
We, Syria and Israel, are very very distant from one another, even though we are neighbors geographically.
We share the same weather, the same food (houmous, felefel, tehina etc.), the same winds, but we are far. very far.
Syria backs and supports:
1) Nasrallah's Hizbullah
2) the Iran nuclear regime of hard-liners
3) Any terror country in the region
and Syria, itself, supports terror and sends billions of dollars annually to Palestinian terror groups.
So, how can we actually be friends, when your country is killing our people, ,our youngsters, our future?
What do the common people of Syria think? Don't they want to stop terror policies of your regime and be modern? Dont they want to learn from Israeli high-tech? (Israel is among the chief countries in the world in high-tech development and progress).
Have a good evening and take care,
Shalom
Posted by Anonymous | 9:41 pm
Let's start the discussion.
Hafez Al-Assad and Ehud Barak were on the verge of signing a peace deal, when Ariel Sharon came to power and tore it up.
Bashar Al-Assad repeatedly asked for the talks to be reopened, but Sharon refused - they must start again from scratch, the Israeli PM insisted.
So Bashar said yes...unconditional talks, wherever and whenever.
Yet still Sharon says no.
It is true there is much misunderstanding between the two countries. But all the Syrian people want is for the Golan Heights to be returned, for families to be reunited and for the Palestinians who've lived in Syria since 1948 to be able to return to their homes.
As for the support for Iran, you're right, there's no justification for it, and Syria would do well to distance itself as much as possible.
Hizbollah is a legitimate political party with the support of more Lebanese than any other party. They have as much right to claim the support of Syria's government, as Likud has the right to claim the support of America's government.
I dislike the violent, murderous policies of Likud, and you dislike Hizbollah. Let's not forget that it was Hizbollah that liberated Lebanon from 20 years of brutal Israeli occupation.
Posted by sasa | 9:50 pm
Hi to both of you ,it continue to amuse me the brain washing that Israel does to it,s people ,the Golan Hights has been calm for more than 30 years with Syria thinking that if Syria shows Israel that it wants peace and normalisation of relation Israel will agree to withdrow from the Golan Hights for a full peace treaty but we see that Israel unfortionatly will respons only to force ,they left south Lebanon because of Hizballa after 20 years of occupation and did so in Gazza recently ,the only languege they understand is force ,about Iran we should remember that as long as Israel is on the Golan Hights and the palesenians do not have their rights the only enemy Syria has is Israel after all Syria and Iran helped Hizballa to liberate south Lebanon not the US or the UN ,if Israel realy wants peace they know the road to Damascus,it is through the Golan Hights and that is clear Syria will be happy to help the Israelites to water that they will need more than Syria needs their tecknoligy which can be bought from other countries,i hope this note will give our cousins the Israelites somthing to think and to understand that to live in peace you have to come in peace.
Posted by norman | 6:17 am
Hi Sasa,
Was interesting to read your reply, however, you have the facts a bit wrong.
1. It was not Ariel Sharon that ended the agreement, but rather the late Hafez Assad himself, who wasn't willing to compromise at all. In March 2000, then US President Bill Clinton, in Switzerland, offered Assad the Israeli withdrawal proposal, which was very close to the June 4 line, and enough to suffice the people of Syria, but Hafez Assad said no. He probably knew he was getting older and he probably wanted to leave a legacy that he was strong and woulnd't bow down to the Israelis. So, once again, Assad didn't agree to the proposal and it ended.
2. There is no way you can even start comparing Hizbullah with Likud. Likid is a legitimate political party. It doesn't have a military wing, it doesn't have soldiers, it doesn't kill. It has ideas - it is a political entity. Hizbullah, however, is a terror organization. Yes, it may have some schools and hospitals, but it's essence is terror. It has a known military wing, fighters. It kills people, it sends people to kill, and it kidnaps Israelis as well. I dont remember when the Likud kidnapped or killed someone...
Your comparison is like comparing apples with tomatoes - there is no comparison at all.
3. I respect you for willing to admit that you agree with me regarding Iran.
4. I am curious - why are all Al Qaeda around the world Moslems? Why are 90% of terrorists in the world Islamists? Why don't you change the guns for pens? Why are Jews always related to academic progress, high-tech etc? Einstein, Freud etc were Jewish. Every year Jews get Nobel Prizes (just recently - in economics). Why do Moslems always relate to violence and terror policies? Thats why you fell you need to defend yourself towards the West.
I appreciate you openness, and am interested to know if you are a common blogger, or perhaps related to the Syrian government or military in some way? IS the use of Internet free in your country? widely-used or censored? Tishrin for example is gov't-backed. Are there any newspapers that are independent and not the voices of the Damascus regime?
Thanks and Shalom:)
Posted by Anonymous | 9:23 am
To Shalom,
They are right : the road to peace goes thru the Golan. Here, we see your army as a bunch of killers although you have your courageous refuseniks.
When you kill Palestinians they are always "terrorists". As to Iran, the attitude of it's President is not very wise but many people in the world agree with him when he says that the holocaust was the doing of Europe and that Palestinians do not have to pay for the sins of the Germans and the Austrians. He does not want to wipe Jews off the map of Palestine but the state of Israel as it exists now.
What gets at me in the israelis' attitude is their good conscience; everything is game and justified because of the holocaust.
True, you have worked hard on the Palestinian lands you have bought or stolen but for the benefit of whom ? Only YOU. What have you brought to this region? War and tragedy. You have brought about the disappearance of the Jewish communities who were living peacefully alongside with MUslims and Christians, who were Arabs themselves since they had the same mores, the same language.
A friend of mine working in a kibbutz on the Jordanian border could not understand why, when the kibbutznikim would should shalom, the Jordanians or Palestinians would reply by insults.
It is as if I take your house, you are outside waving your fist at me and I glowingly shout "peace".
Don't you see the hutzpah?
I commend your intervention in the lion's den; but believe me, Syrians are the sweetest people on earth. Like everybody else they aspire to peace; they are not anti-semitic; judaism is a religion, zionism is a political ideology which has nothing peaceful about it.
Posted by annie | 3:12 pm
p.s. what most people feel about Bashar ? They love him.
Many of them see the hand of the washington/tel aviv axis of evil in the death of Hariri.
Posted by annie | 3:14 pm
Syria will never have peace with Israel without all the Golan Hights ,if Israel wants peace and that is of it,s best interest ,this is the time to acheive it as long time is not of Israel interest ,Syria will be 30 mil in twenty years,about terrorism terror is the response of the weak to the powerfull when they do not get their rights by legal ways,and the reason for the hatered of the Arab and Muslem to the west and Israel is obvious for the people who want to look,during the twentieth century the Arabs were stabed in the back time and time again started with promise of independence if the Arabs fight against Turky only to see arab lands devided between France and England and to get red of the Jewish people by giving them Palestine and supporting it with it,s illegal occupation of arab lands ,i hope now you understand the cause of terror and change the reasons for it.
Posted by norman | 6:04 pm
Hi again,
Thank you for your comments. It is a very emotive issue on both sides.
I think you are ignoring history to say that Likud has not resorted to violence, did not emerge from a terror group, and has not pursued policies of terror, which it's now able to implement.
Hizbollah, just like Likud, is a legitimate political party. Hizbollah has been responsible for harming civilians, and so have Likud's ruling elite, through the state apparatus (as Israel's Kahn Investigation proved, when it imilicated Sharon in the Sabra/Chatilla massacre; Grapes of Wrath Lebanon 1996; Jenin 2001).
Not apples and tomatoes, maybe apples and tuffah (tuffah=apples in arabic).
With regard to your comment about 'Muslim terror', i find that objectionable and frankly racist. I suggest a re-reading of how the Israeli state was formed to quash your notion that Jews can't be terrorists. Or look at the policies employed by Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army.
I think we both need to move away from blame and stereotyping. I'm sure the majority of Israelis want to live in peace, and I'm sure most of them don't condone their government's brutality. Just the same as Palestinians and Syrians want justice and peace for their people.
Salam wa shalom.
Posted by sasa | 8:59 pm
If u take a close look at Israel [which is ofcourse one of the top democratic systems in the region] take a closer look, It's a Jewish state with 30% of the population of non-Jewish... don't u think that how ever u manipulate this and argue it, that in the essence Israel is alaways gonna be a racist term [unless it commits itself to real democracy and humanity by aknowleging a bi-national state]... no matter u put it, it's gonna alawyas be [in some part of it] racist.. at least to protect the concept of the Jewish State of Israel... some ppl are actually arguing [even in the israeli blogsphere check http://radlauer.blogspot.com/ and http://israelperspectives.blogspot.com/ that Arab-Israelis shouldn't have the basic right of VOTING!!!
And btw, take a closer llok on the history level.. everybody aknowledged that Syria in 2000 [shepperds town] was willing to cut an agreement but it was Barak who stood back!!
I think father Assad wanted peace because he wanted his successor to have the least trouble [he was definitley right, notincing the incompetence president Bashar has showed regarding international policits and especially in comparison with his father] + Hafez Assad would've loved to die with the legacy of both "liberator of Southern Lebanon" and "Maker of Peace"
Most Syrians are not ideally "fond" with Israel, but a fair number of them believes that suicide bombers aimed at malls and civilians are no better than Israeli F16s aimed at civilians also, it's a circle of violence... but since Israel has the upper hand, and has the land to give and has the allies for support.. I think that peace intiatives should start in Tel Aviv... no one is against Peace, at least no Syrian... but the Golan Heights are a very important coponent of Peace for Syrians, [deep inside] Syrans have not yet forgotten the bitter and utterly disgusting extortion of Antakiyeh [Hatay]... and I doubt they will take another disappointement regarding Golan!! + Israel's alleged security is not related to the geographical position of Golan, not anymore... at least that's what IDF generals think!! u believe them don't ya?!
take care
Posted by Yazan | 10:50 pm
Syria should only make peace with Israel aslong as it gets the Golan Heights back. They can drop their backing of "terror groups" and whatever else the Israelis ask for.
Syria cannot distance itself from Iran. Iran is a huge reason why Syria hasn't been invaded. I hope that Syria can strenghten her ties with Iran and Russia.
Posted by Anonymous | 12:59 am
In the eighties when all the corupt Arab states stood weak after envolving Iraq in a supid war with Iran to protect their thrones at the request of the west and the Us and at the time of Israel invasion of Lebanon it was Syria,s Asad and Iran who supported hizballa and wre essencial in leberating south Lebanon so Syria sould always have Iran as it,s freind as Iran is more dependable than all the Arab countries combined .
Posted by norman | 5:30 am
Hi Sasa,
I agree – it is a very sensitive matter for both sides.
I would like to re-iterate what I have previously written - the Likud is a legitimate political party, democracticaly chosen by the people of Israel. It is not a military faction nor a military entity, and it certainly does not have a military wing with fighters and weapons.
You mentioned various Israeli operations. It is important for me to explain to you that Israel has no interest whatsoever in attacking anyone for the sake of attacking. We cherish every soldier’s life – and I mean – every. With every fall of one of our soldiers in combat – an entire nation mourns. We cherish life, not death.
Our operations are carried out in the defense of our country. Grapes of Wrath came after years of ongoing and never-ending Hibuallah katyusha rocket firing and other actions against northern Israel and its citizens. Israel sought to target katyusha rocket launchers and terrorist targets. In all this, Israel made it clear that it was doing the utmost to avoid harming civilian lives. But, for the sake of the Israeli national interest, it was vital to target terror targets and rocket launchers. By the way, how many armies do you know that send advance warnings to enemy citizens prior to defense attacks? I don’t know of any except for the IDF, who continuosly warns Lebanese citizens prior to missions. Those Lebanese citizens that chose to stay in the area of Hizbullah – did so at their own risk. Israel has the right to defend its northern residents.
Jenin is a very big stronghold of terrorists – be it Hamas, Islamic Jihad or the like. When Arafat urged “one million martyrs” to march to Jerusalem, Jenin seemed like a good starting point for that. Israel must protect its citizens. It has the basic right, and the capability to do so. The Israeli military was and is doing its utmost to halt all terror attacks by Palestinians, whether they come from Jenin, from Shchem, from TulKarem – or wherever. The security of the Israeli people is of primary importance – whether in malls, restaurants, buses, cafes etc.
I don’t understand, and maybe you can shed some light, on the concept of “martyrs” (Shahid) who are promised 70 (or 72, I don’t remember) virgins if they commit suicide bombings. Is it normal, civil and perceivable that a human being will go to commit suicide in a crowd? Doesn’t he (/she) have a life? a family? wishes? desires? Why do Islamists such as these martyrs chose the way of terror, why do they attack innocent civilians? And why are all suicide bombers in the world coming from Islam? (This also relates to the question I previously asked you about Al Qaeda).
Calling Jews, Israelis, Zionists “racist” is so far from the truth that I can’t even begin to explain how wrong you are. It’s a shame you don’t really know the Israelis – that you don’t know what a warm nation we are, kind men and women that want to live regular normal lives and bring up their children to learn and prosper. How many Israelis have you actually met?
“Racist” is killing others because of their religion – just like Islamists kill Jews – just because they are Jews. The Islamists behead people in Iraq, just because they have “western” values. Can you imagine? They don’t just chop off the heads of Westerners, but also those of their Moslem brothers (!) that “help” the West. What’s so bad about the West? That they are modern and not primitive? Maybe it is time for Islam to go a step forward, to leave the past and enter the future. It seems that due to the feelings of self-consciousness the Arabs sense, they simply attack. It is known that the best psychological defense mechanism is to attack.
Maybe it is time to make some peace within yourselves, to advance, to open up – then you won’t feel feelings of neglect, of self-pity and poorness? Maybe it is time to join the real world – we are beginning 2006 – this may be the right time. I believe that a rich and prosperous society brings about complete and capable citizens that want to contribute to the world, to humanity – not to destroy it. Note that the majority of terrorists in the world are of Islam descent. Why? Don’t they want to lead normal lives? Once they do – they will have no reason to attack others, and everyone will live in their own lives – minding their own business and advancing world values, not destroying them.
Israel’s army is the most humane in the world. On one hand, the IDF seeks to protect its citizens. On the other, as I mentioned above, we try to protect the civilian lives of our enemies and to just target the enemy. If such terror acts were taking place on a daily basis in the USA, or in Russia, China or wherever – I am convinced that the armies of those countries would completely flatten and destroy the areas from which the terrorists emanate. However, as happened in Jenin, for example, Israelis fought on foot, risking their lives in order to protect Palestinian civilians, rather than just flattening Jenin from the air. The problem with the Israeli army, it seems, is that they are too humane.
This entire issue reminds me of the story of the dancer that can’t dance, but blames the “broken floor” instead, or the student that fails in his school studies because he doesn’t want to study – but his parents blame the teacher.
I think Arabs should stop blaming others (Jews, West, USA etc.) all the time for their problems. Instead, they should start solving them.
By the way – I see you wrote that in Arabic, apple = tuffah. In Hebrew, it is similar – “tapuach”. You see, we do have similarities – in our language, and I believe in other realms as well – maybe food, music, culture, some aspects of Mid-East “warm” mentality, some aspects of religion (both Judaism and Islam believe in one god) etc.
Maybe there is a way to proceed and find common ground to this long-lasting conflict? To bridge the gap between our people? Maybe, after all, there is a way to find peace and spread peace in the region, for our sake and for the sake of the generations to come.
Shalom and best wishes,
Kol Tuv (all the best)
Posted by Anonymous | 3:13 pm
Hi again,
Thank you for your words. I agree passionately that we are the same people - the semites. We have a shared history, a shared language (Hebrew and Arabic have the same roots, shalom and salam, tuffah and tapuach) but we fail to understand each other.
I think by ignoring some basic facts, we both ignore each other.
The UN warned Israel where their refugee camps were in Lebanon. But Grapes of Wrath was a direct hit on one of those targets. Hundreds of women and children being protected by the UN perished. There were no militants there. No weapons stash. And it was no mistake.
No Lebanese can forget that.
Yet the Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese have repeatedly said, give us justice - end the occupations and we can live in peace. Yet Israel says no, no, no. The iron fist seems stronger than the olive tree.
Can you imagine, 78% of the land of the Palestinians was snatched from beneath their feet, they lived 50 years in refugee camps, but they are still willing to say, ok, we are ready to live in peace.
Posted by sasa | 3:02 am
Hi Sasa,
It’s quite windy in Israel today. I wonder how the weather in Syria is.
I hope that one day the winds of change will dominate our skies, but I am not sure this will happen in the near future.
I am not ignoring you, but rather the opposite. I asked you questions about Al Qaeda, Islam, “martyrs” etc, but unfortunately, didn’t receive answers.
In any case, we can go one ping-ponging mutual accusations from here to eternity, but let’s try to think how we can elevate from this circle of violence and circle of accusations. I hope you can also see the other side through our virtual dialogue.
Just one thing I wish to make clear – in the Kfar Qana incident, not hundreds of people perished, but rather 102.
After ongoing Hizbullah attacks on our country, Israel launched the Grapes of Wrath operation. In this framework, in which Israel sought to attack back the Hizbullah positions, the Kfar Qana incident took place.
Such is the nature of war.
According to the UN, on April 18, it was the Hizbullah that fired additional katyusha rockets and mortars on Israel from a zone very close to the UN compound. Israel reciprocated and 102 people died, not hundreds. Israel apologized for the loss of life of civilians, restating that the target was the Hizbullah; not the compound. It is the Hizbullah who used these people as human shields, as covers. But, in war, as in war, Israel must protect itself. (by the way, I never heard an apology coming from the mouth of Hizbullah when civilians were killed, but quite the opposite – it is the Hizbullah that is continuously seeking Israeli civilians to kill).
It is significant that you understand the context of all these developments, of our entire conversation. There is a bitter territorial dispute between Israel and many of its Arab neighbors.
Israel is the homeland of the Jews, of our ancestors, forefathers. If you are familiar with the bible, you will read that this is the land of the Jews. On the other hand, I am aware of the fact that the Palestinians also claim this land. So, here we have a land dispute that is claiming the lives of so many, on both sides. Now, I ask – why is it that Israel has to withdraw from its lands to achieve peace? Why not the Arabs? You say the Arabs want peace as well, true? So why does Israel have to comprise all the time and give and give and give?
We also have pride, not only you. The Golan is important for us too, not only for you. Why do we have to compromise, why do we have to withdraw from our lands, and not you?
But, let’s leave that aside now. Let’s look at the methods of negotiations. The Moslems negotiate with force, violence and terror. Not only in Israel, but across the entire world. 9/11 was carried out by Saudi Moslems. And after 9-11, Bush wiped out an entire country (Afghanistan). But, we, in Israel, suffer daily “9-11s”, as terror is frequent on our streets, on our buses, cafes’ etc – but do we wipe out entire villages? No. We are in a daily war with daily Palestinian terror, which receives backing and support from various Arab countries – including Syria and Iran.
HIzbullah attacks us from the north. When attacked – we must fight back.
Israel wants peace, but also justice. Compromise must come from both sides – not only from one.
We, as opposed to Islam, don’t live by the sword. We live for peace. We cherish life; not death. We don’t encourage Jewish men and women to commit suicide bombings in crowds. We don’t promise our youngsters “virgins” in paradise for “martyr missions”. But, we have to cope with Moslem elements that promise such things.
Since terror is not a daily issue in your country, maybe you don’t “feel” and “sense” what I am saying. I think the Americans only really “understood” this after 9/11, but still – for them it was a one time event, happening only in 3 places (NY, PA and Washington) – mainly in New York.
For us, in our small country of Israel, it is a daily battle, a daily struggle, in the minds of all citizens. This is how we live.
I think we can go on and on in this issue, but I see it gives no results. Maybe you can shed some light on positive aspects of Syria?
I am really interested in learning regarding what’s going on now with the Hariri probe – what is your opinion? And to top it all, how free is “freedom” of speech and expression in your country? What happens to you if you criticize your regime?
Wishing you again Kol Tuv and Shalom
Regards,
From “windy” Israel
Posted by Anonymous | 2:01 pm
Dear 'anonymous' and 'sasa',
What an intriguing exchange of thoughts..
Let me, if I may, contribute to the 'dialogue'..
To my mind, each party is trying to justify his/her side's actions by citing the other side's actions, present or past..
I must say, no amount of self-righteousness could justify for the Israelis the indiscriminate killing of civilians.. not even as 'collateral damage', as the ultimate self-righteous Americans would put it.. (what a horrible term that is!..)
By the same token, nothing.. absolutely nothing.. would justify suicide-bombing of civilians travelling on buses or enjoying themselves in a night club...
Suicide-bombing is, in my humble view, the least 'Islamic' of any act of 'struggle', followed very closely by the abhorant beheading (or killing by any other means) of (mostly) innocent people, who happen to hold the wrong type of passport!.. For your information, anonymous, most ordinary muslims are absolutely appalled by such acts, and most ordinary muslims would do all they can to distance themselves from being associated with the perpetators of such deeds.. 'Martyrs??'.. Not on thier life.. not when they kill children and innocent people...
The common people of Syria??.. Most of them are disgusted by the lack of international even-handedness when dealing with the Arab-Israeli issue.. While most hate the very guts of the regime, they are absolutely petrified of going down the Iraqi route to 'freedom' (for 'freedom' read 'anarchy'), and subsequently prefer the devil they know...
Who was it that moved away from the peace process?.. Well, who knows??.. My vote goes for Barak shying away because he did not get all he wanted, and blaming Assad for 'not compromising' (for 'compromising' read 'surrendering').. Assad would have given almost anything to have peace as his everlasting legacy.. that is a well-known truth.
I guess there will be things that we, the Arabs, and the Israelis will never agree upon.. Perhaps we should look more closely at what we might agree upon..
Please keep up the fascinating discussion..
p.s. I agree with 'anonymous' on one thing.. Isn't Asma beautiful?!..
p.p.s What the hell do you mean we share the same food???.. Houmous, tehina and felefel are ARABIC delicacies that you rotten lot have stolen from us like everything else you brag about!!..
Posted by The Syrian Brit | 4:47 am
Hi again Anonymous,
I am very glad that you want to learn about Syria. I also want to learn about Israel - like many bloggers. One day we we live together in peace. As I have said before, we are one people.
I feel saddened that you repeatedly refer to Islam as a religion of war. It suits the enemies of Islam to paint it as such, just as it suits militants to paint it that way. It is just as spurious as connecting Judaism with the policies of the State of Israel. I know of many dedicated Rabbies in Israel, Syria, and the UK who have denounced Israel's policies. One group in the UK denounces the State of Israel's exsistence as well.
But that is for another discussion, and not here, not now. You say we have to move above petty bickering, then you challenge my assersion that 'hundreds' died in Qana, Lebanon.
You ask many questions - I'll start with a few...
Freedom of speech. Well my friend, come here and experience it for yourself. Syrians talk of 'red lines', things we don't talk about. Since Bashar came to power, those red lines have moved back. People openly criticise government ministers. Rustom Ghazleh is particularly despised. One of the few remaining red lines is Bashar himself.
I don't think you'd come in for much trouble unless you advocate overthrowing the state - a coup d'etat, but that's the same in most countries!
It is such a shame that our region is in such a mess, with so many backs against so many walls. Syria had great hopes for reform under Bashar, but now all we our doing is fighting to prevent another war with America.
I wasn't a fan of Hafez Al-Assad, but he did lay the ground for Bashar to be a far more liberal, peace-making President. And that's the way it was going until 18 months ago.
I hope the Hariri case will be cleared up quickly, and that Israel will get the Prime Minister it deserves, a brave one who is willing to talk to Bashar.
Yes, Israel can and will get what it wants - an end to the support for Hizbollah/Hamas etc, these things aren't that important for Syria. And Syria will get the Golan back - it is rightfully Syrian, and thousands of Syrians remain prisoners of Israeli occupation.
You ask why Israel must give and give. Well, that's because it took and took. Justice means doing what's right. Something that's stolen must be given back. And the majority of Israeli opinion agrees (according to polls).
Syria and Israel can have embassies, a border, tourism. Just imagine visiting the incredible sites that Syria has to offer, the millenia of history. Your history!
And I can imagine visiting you. The occupation will end, and we will leave in peace side by side as equals. As neighbours.
One day we will have peace. One day.
S
Posted by sasa | 9:49 pm
Sasa, i hate to tell you but do not hold your breath the only languege Israel understand is force and as long as the Golan Hights is peacfull their answer is the same (why should Israel give ,She does not have to)
Posted by norman | 5:38 am
the peace treaty between Syria and Israel colapsed because according to Bill Clinton book, Barak lied to Clinton and told him before the meeting between Asad and Clinton that the maps enculde the return to 1967 border only to the surprise of Clinton it did not asad figured that out at the meeting,Israel can not be trusted.If Israel needs water Syria allways helped it,s naibour and will be glad to help the Hebrews as after all and if we all are Arabs because we came from arabia Christians muslems and yes Hebrews through the semetic nigrations so if Israel has any sence they will move to make peace with Syria for the future of the arabs christians muslems and Jews.
Posted by norman | 5:06 am