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Israel and Syria begin peace talks.

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Promising Peace Talks
(12/20/99)

If you asked a person living in the Middle East ten years ago whether the leaders of Israel and Syria would ever sit politely in the same room, the answer would probably have been "no way."

But now, peace is a real possibility in a part of the world where neighbors often trade bullets instead of greetings.

"A good start"

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa met in Washington last week for the highest level talks between the two countries ever.

Speaking from the White House at the conclusion of the talks, President Clinton described the meetings as ``a critical step'' and ``a good start.'' The two countries have agreed to meet again in January 2000.

The Golan Heights

The main issue Israel and Syria have to work out is the future of a strip of land called the Golan Heights.

Caught between Israel and Syria, the Golan is an area of hills and mountains. The Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River make the Golan a rich source of water in an area that is very hot and dry. Its height also provides a military advantage against attacks.

A territory under fire

When Israel became a country in 1948, the Golan was a part of Syria. Syria and the other Arab nations rejected the idea of a Jewish state and they did everything they could to stop it. As Israeli farmers moved onto land close to the Jordan River, Syrians fired on the new residents from the Golan.

Feeling like a stranger in a hostile world, Israel took over the area during the Six Day War in 1967. Israel felt it had to take land from Egypt, Syria and Lebanon because it was the only way to guarantee security for its citizens.

But the struggle to carve out a "security zone" uprooted people on all sides. Syria claims that more than 500,000 Syrians lost their homes.

The battle for land fostered hostility and hate. Syria and Israel fought wars in 1973 and 1982. Technically, they're still at war. Syria has also helped Lebanese soldiers fighting the Israelis in southern Lebanon.

Land-for-peace

When Ehud Barak was elected Prime Minister in May 1999, he promised to meet with Israel's enemies and try to forge peace in the Middle East. This has been a difficult task because it means giving back land which has been settled by Israeli farmers, and which many Israelis believe is necessary for their safety.

Polls show that Israelis overall are evenly divided over whether to return the Golan Heights. The 17,000 settlers in the Golan Heights, who could be forced from their homes if the region is returned to Syria, have organized angry demonstrations.

Before leaving Israel for Washington, Mr. Barak, who fought in the Six Day War that won the Golan, told the settlers that they will have to make sacrifices for the greater good.

"I can't tell you an agreement will be reached without a high price. The price will be one our generation will pay on behalf of future generations -an end to the bloodshed... that we did all we could to prevent the next war," he said.

But he will surely face more opposition at each step along the way. Especially as the talks begin to address the exact line of the Israel-Syria border, the fate of Jewish settlers and a timeline for withdrawal.

Earlier this year, Barak pledged to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon by July 2000. This move is expected to further strengthen the talks between Israel and Syria and open talks between Israel and Lebanon, one of last existing conflicts in the Middle East. But it will make many Israelis uneasy.

If a settlement between Israel and Syria is reached, it would have to be approved by the Israeli parliament and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad.

--Posted December 17, 1999