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Syrian President Bashar Assad
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| By Israel Insider staff August 1, 2007 |
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In an unexpected turn of events, the Syrian government has announced its willingness to participate in the US-sponsored international Mideast peace conference slated for the fall.
However it remains unclear why Syria has changed its stance and whether the US is even interested in Syria's offer.
"All of Syria's peace efforts have thus far been snubbed by Israel," Israel Radio quoted Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Migdad as having said in an interview with the Al Jazeera network.
Migdad is referring to calls for peace that Israel has rejected because of Syria's continued arms smuggling to Hezbollah in violation of UN resolutions.
Syrian Pressident Bashar Assad has demanded territorial concessions from Israel in exchange for peace, namely the return of the Golan Heights, which Israel won in the 1967 war. Assad stressed the importance of "retrieving every last grain of our occupied land" in a speech to the army.
"The peace process should be resumed without the preconditions laid down by the US and Israel," the foreign minister said, referring to demands that Syria stop arming and financing terrorist groups seeking Israel's destruction. "[But] if Israel chooses the path of war then Syria should be prepared for every eventuality."
Moualem included in his statements criticism of the US proposed deal to sell Saudi Arabia and other gulf states sophisticated weaponry and increase aid to Israel. The deal is part of an attempt to bolster moderate states in the region as Iran, Syria's ally, draws closer to gaining nuclear capabilities.
"Anyone who wants to be a peacemaker does not initiate a dangerous armament race in the region," Moualem said.
In related news, a recent poll revealed that 75 percent of Syrians support the continued assistance to terrorist groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, who have carried out numerous terror attacks against Israel. 51 percent of Syrians said they were in favor of peace with Israel in exchange for the Golan Heights.
The poll was conducted by Terror Free Tomorrow, a bipartisan organization that seeks to eliminate support for international terrorism. Among its advisory board members are Senator John McCain of Arizona, a Republican presidential candidate, and former House Speaker Thomas Foley, a Democrat from Washington state.
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