The situation in Syria is what it has always been: hopeless. The point of talks is pointless.

Syria remains a feudal monarchy in the hands of ruling families, whose concerns for its people are nil. Lebanon remains Greater Syria, and Syria wishes the return of the Golan Heights simply as part of its grand illusions of empire. It has less concern for the occupants of the region than it does for those within its current borders.

Antisemitic and nationalistic filth in the monarchy's controlled media, the same ploys as in other ME nations to distract from the poverty, within will always guarantee support for the "king" and "aristocrats" anxious to control its fiefdoms.

stearm

A lot of insight in your comment. I'm impressed and now more thoughtful as well. Thanks.

The Middle East is probably the only place in the world where you have to justify yourself if you want peace. It's the world history upside down. 2000 years of moral philosophy are useless in the Middle East. Moral philosophers tried to limit the recurrence of war to 'those wars' which could be 'justified' under certain circumstances. In the Middle East, it's the other way around, all parties disagree on the merit of peace, instead of the 'jus ad bellum', they try to develop the 'jus ad pacem'.

Peace is the problem, is not the solution. It's against nature.

The Middle East is probably the only place in the world where you have to justify yourself if you want peace. It's the world history upside down. 2000 years of moral philosophy is useless in the Middle East. Moral philosophers tried to limit the recurrence of war to 'those wars' which could be 'justified' under certain circumstances. In the Middle East, it's the other way around, all parties disagree on the merit of peace, instead of the 'jus ad bellum', they try to develop the 'jus ad pacem'.

Peace is the problem, is not the solution. It's against nature.

to randomguy
(" Time is a trickster" )
I contend that "Time" produces a result which depends mostly on the actions of humankind : religious prophecy or pre-destination neglected here.

Israel has been forced to defend itself in many wars. Each 'war' becoming less important than the one before it.

Israel doesn't dream in the mode of Arabian Nights...that seems to be your obsession ..."pal/arabs ascendency" ..NONSENSE !

Given enough "Time" (you used 100 yrs as an example) the Arab peoples will spend their effort to modernize; ,even the palestinians ,
will realize "If not now ...when ? "

Given enough "Time" : hatred , retaliation, vengence will become weaker in the Arab world.
Perhaps the "shabab" (street mob) , demogogic, storm troop mentality might remain ...
BUT wiser Arab minds, especially palestinians,
will hold the "shabab" in check ... hopefully in contempt.

Hitler (may his name be erased ) and his entourage ( which included the Arab Mufti of Jerusalem ) never expected that we Jews would continue to exist, and even prosper...

Do you know that in Asia the Chinese are regarded as the "Jews of the Orient"

Warms my heart to know there are such objective intellectuals in Israel as Mr. Melman.

To mosheIsrael:

I agree with you that war is no simple matter. We saw that in Lebanon just last year (was it?). And I dont mean to belittle the holocaust. But, imagine this. If the Palestinians/Arabas ever gain ascendancy over Israel, can you imagine the consequences?

Now, about is that possible? I dont care how many weapons Israel has today. Time is a trickster. Remeber 60 years ago, the British empire was known as the empire where the sun never sets (or somehting like that). Look at the Brits now.. Policitcally they are America's poodle. Economically they are due to drop to the bottom of the top 10 as the Asian nations emerge.

We are at the beginning of the post-American world. Never under estimate the wrath of a civilization scorned. You should know that first hand.

Somebody should have tried telling Hitler where the Jewish people would be in 2008.

In short, the costs are obvious and certain, the benefits modest and risky. Hence, the need for a guarantor.

Between Melman and Moubayed, one gets a picture of a fractured Middle East of rival, suspicious, and jealous states, and recalls the intrigues of the Arab League. Perhaps one of the problems in the Israel-Syria engagement is thinking too small which leaves us playing a zero-sum game; one states gain is anothers's loss.

Europe played that game for hundreds of years until the costs became too great, and then they began working to change the rules of the game to emphasize win-win outcomes. If the EU is famously shy about stepping up to the plate in Afghanistan, here is a situation where there particular history and developed skills are more appropriate than those of the US.

I modestly suggest that the US might sponsor the process, but the lead in providing assistance come from the EU, with a mandate to think big.

to randomguy:
Israel already shares water with Jordan.
Syria has ample water from the Euphrates River.

Its not simple at all: Syrian soldiers are formidable> "wresting" would entail
hundreds or thousands of Israeli casualties ....Why take that chance??

I don't doubt that human nature would try a "secodn holocaust" , but NOT against
armed Israelis . The Holocaust came about when the Nazi army "fought" against a million individual Jewish families, civilians all, that were not able to resist.

The Israeli army know how to fight. Israel constantly develops new weapons, electronics, chemicals, ....atoms

the Palestinian dreams of "retribution"...but the Israeli already knows how to DELIVER retribution.

In 10,20,100 years who will even remember the "principals" eunciated by palestinians , hamas or hizballah ? ?

The author speaks knowledgeably and candidly about his country. Israel can have peace with its neighbors any time it wants. It just has to come to grips with the need to respect Arabs as people, and recognize the rights of all people within its borders to be represented in the government. "One man one vote" (or woman too, for that matter). If it cannot accept that, for citizens of the West Bank, it should give that territory back to Jordan, from whom it was stolen in war. Same for Golan .

I think you got the Israeli position spot on. On the Syrian perspective I beg to differ. Assad, like any other totalitarian, treasures survival over all else.

If Israle were to return the Golan and not work out a water sharing deal and and a non-aggression pact, Syria would dump Iran and Hezbollah faster than a katushka rocket. Syrians are sunnis after all. And if Egypt and Jordan are an example, there is no reason to beleive otherwise.

This is an opportunity that Israel needs to seize. Im a Palestinian supporter, but Syria is the last Arab country to support them, and from a purely political gambit, if Israel gave Syria all and more, it would clearly isolate the Palestinians. After all Israel cherishes Jerusalem more than it does the Golan!!

If Syria reneges, Israel can always wrest it back. That simple.

Having said that, your point about Israel's desire to prolong talks is the mammoth in the room that the USA and the weakling EU ignore. This is theire policy with the Palestinians as well. Israel cannot afford peace. Plain and simple. But they can afford process, since week by week, they are stealing more land from the Plaesitinians.

What they ignore is history. There will be a day of retribution, 10, 20, 100 years hence, when the tables are (WILL BE) turned (civilizations rise and civilizations fall), a secodn holocaust is inevitable. Just human nature..