Syria close to peace deal with Israel

Tag : syria

Olmert is driving a hard bargain for what will be an unpopular dealin Israel. He wants the closure of the Damascus offices of Hamasand other militant organisations and a promise that Syria will notimplement its defence pact with Iran if Israel or the United Statesshould go ahead with an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Shaul Mofaz, Israel’s deputy prime minister, told aWashington audience last week that Iran is on the path to a“major breakthrough” in its nuclear programme, which hedescribed as “unacceptable”. Mofaz, tipped as a futureIsraeli leader, said the country faced an existential threat.
“Israel’s main purpose is to create a barrier betweenSyria and Iran and if this is achieved, the return of the GolanHeights to Syria would be a worthwhile price,” said anIsraeli defence source.
“Assad is not stupid,” political sources told theIsraeli paper Ma’ariv. “He knows that being stuckbetween the Iranian leader [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad and the Hezbollahleader [Hassan] Nasrallah can only harm Syria. He wants to be partof the West. He wants Syria to be no longer included in the‘axis of evil’ and taken off the American list ofcountries that support terrorism. Israel should seize thisopportunity with both hands.”
As part of his campaign to bring Syria in from the cold,London-educated Assad and his British-born wife Asma were receivedby President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris last month. The peacenegotiations paved the way to an end of years of diplomaticisolation.
Assad will take a message from the French president to the Iranianleadership, warning Tehran that it must agree to internationalincentives in return for a cessation of its uranium enrichmentprogramme, which is widely believed to be part of a nuclear weaponsprogramme.
But President Ahmadinejad seemed to rule out any progress lastnight when he was quoted on his official website as saying aftertalks with Assad that Iran would not retreat “one iota”from its nuclear rights.
For all Olmert’s efforts it will be almost impossible for himto achieve peace before leaving office. A decision on withdrawalfrom the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since its victoryin the six-day war in 1967, would need the approval of the Knesset,Israel’s parliament, and possibly a referendum.“Anything can happen in the Middle East between now and whenOlmert finally steps down,” said a security source.