Haaretz: Israel, Syria reached outlines of peace deal this summer; Update: Israel denies
posted at 10:44 pm on January 15, 2007 by Allahpundit
The last meeting was in July, sometime shortly after IAF warplanes buzzed Assad’s house.
I’m going to sleep on it, but at first glance this would seem to be important:
According to the terms, Syria will also agree to end its support for Hezbollah and Hamas and will distance itself from Iran…
Syria would also exercise its influence for a solution to the conflict in Iraq, through an agreement between Shi’a leader Muqtada Sadr and the Sunni leadership, and in addition, it would contribute to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the refugee problem…
It also emerged that one of the Syrian messages to Israel had to do with the ties between Damascus and Tehran. In the message, the Alawi regime – the Assad family being members of the Alawi minority – asserts that it considers itself to be an integral part of the Sunni world and that it objects to the Shi’a theocratic regime, and is particularly opposed to Iran’s policy in Iraq. A senior Syrian official stressed that a peace agreement with Israel will enable Syria to distance itself from Iran.
In return, Syria would get the Golan Heights and not much else. Why would they have offered to make that deal with Bush weak, Olmert untested, and their Iranian patrons on the march? And why on earth would Israel have been the party to break off talks?
The contacts ended after the Syrians demanded an end to meetings on an unofficial level and called for a secret meeting at the level of deputy minister, on the Syrian side, with an Israeli official at the rank of a ministry’s director general, including the participation of a senior American official. Israel did not agree to this Syrian request.
Haaretz has posted the text of the outline and a revised map of the Golan Heights. Exit question: Is the offer still good?
Update: Olmert plays dumb.
Blowback
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1st!
As i said on LGF, peace will come when Israel wants it and the world (and US) let them take it
ot: Spain says oops
Lord Nazh on January 15, 2007 at 11:01 PM
‘Tis very interesting. Like you, I’ll have to sleep on it, but the majority of that deal was done before any of those three conditions existed.
steveegg on January 15, 2007 at 11:22 PM
Will sleep on this. Something doesn’t feel good or going to make me ill. How far into the sea will the Jews be driven into by own “peace making”.
StuLongIsland on January 15, 2007 at 11:54 PM
Here’s my strategy for the Middle East:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py730_Bcaew
Vincenzo on January 16, 2007 at 12:07 AM
This might at least explain why Olmert appeared to be unwilling to take the fight directly to the Syrians, last July.
SWLiP on January 16, 2007 at 12:19 AM
Never trust a muslim dictator. Never. Syria will end it’s support for Hamas like the NoKoes ended their nuke program.I knew Clinton was stupid but I expected better from the Israelis.
bdfaith on January 16, 2007 at 1:01 AM
Looking at it from Israel’s perspective, peace, or some sort of agreement with Syria would be a huge strategic victory. It would give Israel a free hand to go after Iran without having to worry (nearly as much) about a two-front war with Syria. Additionally, it isolates Hezbollah to a certain degree.
Why Israel reportedly would walk away is a mystery. One answer may be the Golan itself, which many Israeli’s view as vital to their security since it is such a strategic piece of land and since Israel paid such a high price to take it in the first place.
Another theory:
Perhaps Olmert knew his weak coalition would fall apart in reaction to such a proposed deal and he pulled out to prevent that.
One thing is certain – the unnatural alliance between Syria and Iran must be broken – a separate peace between Israel and Syria would do that.
NPP on January 16, 2007 at 1:51 AM
Why do I have a feeling that second carrier group headed to the gulf is about to unleash hell on Iran, and Syria just saved their own asses for the time being?
I’ve also heard (very unconfirmed) Israeli jets are being re-fitted with longer range engines.
Shock and Awe 2?
reaganaut on January 16, 2007 at 2:27 AM
I don’t know enough about the inner workings of Israeli politics to evaluate the reasons why this deal fell apart.
Sean M. on January 16, 2007 at 3:21 AM
If this goes through, I’d expect Israel and Syria to have a shakey peace with Hamas and Hezbollah doing what they can to derail it.
Israel would have to maintain a strong alert until it may be proven Syria is on the level.
Sorry, I just don’t trust the Syrians.
LewWaters on January 16, 2007 at 3:34 AM
Wait…did you say “(hehTM)”?!
I thought I was stealing that from Allah who was stealing it from Glen Reynolds?
Jaibones on January 16, 2007 at 9:59 AM
Israel to Iran is loooong flight. Maybe they need an aircraft carrier. I know of two in R.I. just sittin’ there, de-commed, I flew over them a few weeks ago. Maybe one could be renamed the I.S.S. Star of David. We just retired the F-14, they’re still excellent planes, they could be Israeli Top Guns! Cruise (no pun) the ship around to the gulf and bye bye Iranian nukes. Or, perhaps they could paint USAF on their F-15s and fly them into Iraq, refuel, and bye bye Iranian nukes!
Tony737 on January 16, 2007 at 10:19 AM
Assad is a pathological liar who never honours his agreements. Even his fellow members of the Arab League say this. I doubt this agreement has any significance at all.
aengus on January 16, 2007 at 10:20 AM
Sad to say, he’s not playing.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on January 16, 2007 at 10:36 AM
So according to this, all the worlds problems will be settled just because Syria says Okie Dokie?
Hezbulshita, Hamass, Iraq..All better now. Then they go fix New Orleans also?
I slept on it…crapola is what I believe comes from Syria.
shooter on January 16, 2007 at 10:56 AM
This is bullsh!t. The Israelis will never give up the Golan. These secret peace talks will work as well as the Oslo Peace talks. Ever hear of the arabic word “hudna”?
Andy in Agoura Hills on January 16, 2007 at 1:11 PM
There is no way in hell Israel would give up the Golan Heights. From the Golan you can see half of Israel, which is why Syria was using it for artillery before 1967.
One of my cousins fought on the Golan in 1973 against the Syrians. I only hope this is a terrible rumor. I’d hate to think what he and his fellow soldiers went through was for nothing.
The Israeli voters would be delusional if they approved this.
Mooseman
Mooseman on January 16, 2007 at 10:18 PM