SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    SCZONE, Tokyo Metropolitan Government sign MoU on green hydrogen cooperation    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Indian tourist arrivals to Egypt jump 18.8% in H1-2025: ministry data    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Peace with Syria is key to peace in the Middle East
Published in Daily News Egypt on 04 - 03 - 2009

NEW YORK: The Golan Heights, an area of roughly 690 square miles bordering Syria, Israel, Lebanon and Jordan could hold the key to peace in the Middle East. Recent events in Israel and Gaza make any rapprochement between Israel and the Palestinians beyond a ceasefire rather improbable at the moment. Peace talks with Syria could energize the process and lead to an all-encompassing peace agreement in the region.
The Golan Heights, which was Syrian territory before Israel captured the region during the 1967 Six-Day War, holds considerable strategic importance. Keeping control over this territory, however, isn't a prerequisite for Israel's self-defense from attack. In 2004, Israel's then Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen Moshe Ya'alon stated, that if the government decided to reach a peace agreement with Syria, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) could defend Israel without the Golan Heights.
In addition to its military importance, the Golan Heights controls a large portion of water in the Jordan River watershed which provides about 15 percent of Israel's water supply. Thus while of significant historical importance to Syria, the Heights also has practical importance for Israel.
Although both Syria and Israel now contest the ownership of the area, they have not used overt military force since 1974. In 1981, the area was annexed by Israel, a move that was condemned internationally and called "inadmissible by the UN Security Council. In 1999-2000, during the US-brokered peace talks, Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered to withdraw from most of the Golan Heights as part of a comprehensive peace and security agreement. Barak withdrew this offer because of disagreements with Syria on access to the Sea of Galilee.
In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly called upon Israel to end its occupation of the Golan Heights, and declared all the legislative and administrative measures taken by Israel in that area null and void. That decision was ignored by Israel. In 2008, leaders of communities in the Golan Heights reaffirmed Israel's ownership of the area and stated, "all construction and development projects in the Golan are going ahead as planned, propelled by the certainty that any attempt to harm Israeli sovereignty in the Golan will cause severe damage to state security and thus is doomed to fail.
Do all these facts condemn the possibility of reaching an agreement between Syria and Israel? I don't believe so. After all, Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu all saw the importance of achieving peace with Syria. Syria's president Bashar Al-Assad has clearly stated, "If the Israelis withdraw from the Golan we will recognize them, and said that the United States should be the 'main arbiter' in this process.
The Golan Heights could become a 'neutral' area through the creation of a jointly administered peace park. This could be a practical example of a dispute-resolution strategy known as environmental peace building. According to Saleem H. Ali and Michael Cohen, the proposal was based on Robin Twite's work at the Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information during the 1990s. The plan establishes that Syria would be the sovereign nation in all of the Golan, but Israelis could visit the park freely, without the need for visas. The territory on both sides of the border could be demilitarized under international supervision.
There are obvious advantages for both Syria and Israel in reaching a peace agreement. Syria desperately needs economic development and an agreement with Israel on the Golan Heights could diminish its considerable military needs. Israel could have peace with an important adversary, a process that could be followed by a formal peace with Lebanon.
Peace with Syria doesn't mean disregarding the Palestinian issue. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians remains at the core of the Middle East process. But peace with Syria is a significant first step that will completely change the dynamic of the process and make it more attainable than what it is now.
Cesar Chelala, a writer on human rights issues, is a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award. He is the foreign correspondent for the Middle East Times International (Australia). This article is reproduced by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) with permission from the author. This commentary was first published by The Middle East Times International (Australia).


Clic here to read the story from its source.