Netanyahu and Al-Assad have visited France for talks in quick succession. But will Paris be able to help Syria and Israel overcome their differences, asks Bassel Oudat in Damascus On his recent visit to Paris, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told French officials that he was prepared to hold direct talks with Damascus with no preconditions, the Syrians being free to choose the venue and timing. However, Syrian officials have scoffed at the offer, and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who also visited Paris earlier this month, said that Israel was "playing with words", calling into question the efficacy of French mediation efforts between the two countries. Al-Assad said that Syria was asking for its rights, not seeking preconditions. "There is a Syrian side wishing for peace, and there is a Turkish mediator willing to play the role of go-between. There is French, European and international support for the process. What we're missing here is an Israeli partner that is ready to proceed with the peace process and make peace," he said. One sticking point has been that Israel apparently no longer wants Turkey to act as mediator in the talks between the two countries. Since Ankara voiced strong views about Israel's policies in Gaza, the Israelis have been opposed to Turkey's continued mediation, while the Syrians are still insisting that Turkey remain the key mediator. Al-Assad said that Turkish mediation was important and hinted that France was not a potential mediator in the foreseeable future. However, he called on France to support the Turkish role and to persuade Israel to do the same. France has been offering its services as a mediator in talks between Syria and Israel and as a possible sponsor of any eventual peace. However, Damascus has made it clear that it will accept nothing less than that Washington becomes involved as a sponsor of the talks and the guarantor of any future deal. "Obama should get involved in a more active manner if he wants to see results," Al-Assad told the French newspaper Le Figaro. He admitted, however, that so far Syrian-US dialogue has been confined to an "exchange of opinion". Hinting that Europe is following Washington's line too closely, the Syrian president also called on European countries to be more independent in their foreign policies. Netanyahu has rejected a Syrian demand that talks be resumed from the point that former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin left them. He said that the Golan should return to Syria as a result of peace between the two countries and not as a starting point for negotiations. According to Syrian presidential adviser Bothayna Shaaban, "Netanyahu is willing to give back the land as a result of talks, but Al-Assad's position is that talks should start with Israel's agreement to give back the land." Peace talks between Israel and Syria collapsed in 2000 because of Syria's demand that Israel pull out of the Golan Heights, and earlier attempts at Turkish mediation came to an end when Israel waged war on Gaza in late 2008 and early 2009. During his visit to France, Netanyahu tried to give the impression that Israel wants peace and that the Israeli government was serious about holding negotiations. However, Al-Assad was equally quick to point out that Syria was not interested in making conditions for peace, but had rights that could not be forfeited. "Resistance" remained an option, the Syrian leader said, and Al-Assad's tough stand on the talks seems to be bearing fruit. Europe is opening up to Syria, and the Americans have once again started to engage Damascus in dialogue. Regarding the role played by France in this process, many observers believe that the French are not going it alone on their offer to mediate, but are instead acting in coordination with the Americans. Impressed by France's apparent ability to influence Syrian policies on Lebanon and Iraq, Washington has given French President Nicolas Sarkozy the green light to explore talks between Israel and Syria. US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman said that although the Americans differ from the Syrians on many issues, they are coordinating closely with France on developments concerning the peace process. According to Syrian sources, talks between Al-Assad and Sarkozy were "candid and substantial". The French had understood the Syrian point of view and were expected to take it into consideration, Syrian officials stated. Since his first day in office, US President Barack Obama has said that he would work hard to bring peace to the Middle East. While nearly a year later nothing concrete has been achieved, the US administration still maintains that peace in the Middle East is an achievable goal. For its part, Syria has said that improved ties with the US would help move the peace process forward. Damascus has also asked Washington to end the sanctions against it, hinting that such a move could help the cause of peace. Yet, Damascus is still worried that France may not in fact be able to do much to influence events. According to one well-informed Syrian source, "it is unlikely that anything major will come out of the current efforts. We know that these have the likely backing of the US, and that Sarkozy is dying to play a role on the international stage... But the intransigence of the Netanyahu government and its refusal to return the Golan to Syria is robbing a settlement of any meaning." The source suggested that Sarkozy may want to arrange a four-way meeting with Turkey, Syria and Qatar to help revive the peace process. Efforts to resume talks between Syria and Israel now face several obstacles. Syria wants Israel to pull out from the Golan all the way to the pre-1967 borders, describing this as a right, not a precondition. However, Netanyahu also demands that talks be held without preconditions, and the Syrians want Ankara to continue its mediation, something to which the Israelis now object. Finally, Syria is opposed to holding final talks without the US acting as sponsor. It seems clear that a final settlement between Syria and Israel will require US sponsorship, and that Syria and Israel are unlikely to sign a deal unless Washington acts as guarantor. Until that happens, mediation efforts by a regional or European power are likely to have only limited impact.
