The Golan is #1 On Syrian Agenda

The Golan Heights, an area in southwestern Syria, currenlty occupied by Israel since 1967 is a very strategic point. Because of the elevation, both countries are in need of this geograhpic location. The Golan Heights overlooks all of Israel, and Syria. So we could understand why the two countries want it. But the Golan Heights righfully belongs to the Syrian Arab Republic, and is occupied territory. Israel doesn't even want to give it back even with a peace process. Netanyahu and all the previous governments of Israel have promised Bashar al Assad full withdrawl of the Israelis from the Golan Heights and the full return to Syria. However, now the real plan is uncovered. Israel does not want to withdraw, and it never will withdraw from the Golan Heights, peace treaty or no. So just today, the Syrian President, Bashar al Assad responded in a regional newspaper.

He said that the "enemy" does not want peace, and there is no other alternative but full resistance, which means war. He said that sooner or later, the Golan will be liberated. And I agree with him fully. Israel has occupied territories from four countries, and has ethnically cleansed a nation. Yet the international community and the United Nations is still silent on this aspect. Israel has occupied the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, but has returned it in a peace treaty. It occupied part of Jordan and the West Bank which was annexed by Jordan. It also occupied southern Lebanon, until Hezbollah forced them out. And right now the Golan. So I don't understand why the Israeli government cannot return the Golan Heights under a peace treaty just like with Egypt and President Sadat. No other alternative is left for the Syrian government but force, just like the Israeli-Lebanese model. Hezbollah forced out the Israelis from southern Lebanon and just like them, Syria may force Israel out of the Golan.

But now we come back to the same mindsets of the Israelis. They say that the Golan is rightfully theirs and it belongs to Israel, and it is part of the Holy Land historically. Everyone is tired of their rhetoric. Anyway, Assad's full words are that with Peace or War, the Golan will be liberated and that he is ready to hold peace talks with any Israeli government, even Netanyahu's, but the only condition is the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Golan.

One day, Israel says it is ready to withdraw from the Golan, the next day, they say peace can only be exchanged to peace.

US and Syria Working for Better Ties

Senator of Massachusetts, John Kerry, visited Syria to talk with President Bashar al Assad about future relationships with Syria. Both sides want better ties, but they disagree on many things. The United States, under the Bush administration had decided in 2005, to withdraw the American Ambassador from Damascus, following Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri's assassination in Beirut, which in result caused the Syrian troops to withdraw from Lebanon. The Syrian President, Bashar al Assad expressed his desire of the American ambassador to come back to Damascus. For better peace ties between the US and Syria, the United States wants Syria to stop supporting groups such as Hizballah and Hamas, (which they call terrorist groups), and then the relationships will be better and will reach new heights. However, President Bashar al Assad replied to this statement, in "The Guardian", a British newspaper, and said that the United States cannot simply ignore Syria in the Middle Eastern peace process because Syria has a huge role to play in this complicated process. He also stated, after the Israeli offensive in Gaza, reaching peace with Israel will be a very difficult thing, if not impossible. (I am just paraphrasing by the way, this is not the President's exact words).