Golan Heights Not Too High a Cost
An Israeli government report has recommended pursuing peace with Syria, even at the cost of returning the Golan Heights. This has been a major sticking point in peace negotiations in the past, and should the government follow these recommendations, could be a promising lead to peace talks.
Turkey is currently serving as a mediator between the two countries, but an official has said that when Barack Obama is inaugurated as President of the United States, he should lead talks between the two countries.
President al-Assad has refused preconditions, which include ceasing support for Hamas and Hezbollah and cutting back ties with Iran. However, negotiations always start from the extreme versions of demands, so many think that if a deal is close, al-Assad will agree to talk. Barack Obama has also stated his support for talks before preconditions were met (but stated that he would ask for “preparations,” the semantic difference of which is not yet clear), so his involvement in these talks may indicate this will not be a problem.
Joshua Bark
