Peace

Israel sets demands for Syria

Israel demands that Syria stops supporting Hamas and Hezbollah and to cut ties with Iran [EPA] Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, says that Syria must stop supporting Hamas and Hezbollah for peace talks to resume. Livni's announcement came on Thursday after Ehud Olmert, Israel's prime minister, confirmed that the two countries have maintained contact for a year, hours after it emerged that Turkey is mediating talks. Livni also wants Syria to cut its ties with Iran. Co-ordinated announcements on Wednesday by Israel and Syria that they had begun indirect talks in Turkey, the first confirmation of negotiations between the long-time enemies in eight years, drew a lukewarm response from the United States.

These talks are all well and good, but getting Syria to stop sponsoring terror or cutting it's ties to Iran may be more than Assad can do. Syria would be relegated to a very minor role in the region without those ties it has cultivated for so long and I'm not sure they are willing to do that. Not for simple peace and the promised Golan Heights.

I understand Israel's desire to achieve peace with it's neighbors (any of them) and I hope this doesn't come back to bite at them. Any peace would be welcome, but for their to be a lasting peace; the Islamic world will have to finally decide the Jews can live.

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Tags: Syria, Hamas, Hezbollah, Golan Heights, Middle East, Israel, peace, Lord Nazh