Israeli-Syrian Peace Plan

[Mediocrates]

Syria cannot afford to enlighten their populace about Israel. Moreover it can't afford to allow them any sort of freedoms that you personally would come to expect. Otherwise millions of them would up and leave. The Alawites are a tiny minority who've managed to cling to power through brutality. Remove that force and the whole place descends into anarchy. Let's not forget that Arab custom of awarding all military training, equipment and money to those political troops who point their guns IN not out. The best Arab armies are internal 'security' forces.

And the ironic thing is that in lieu of having no oil, poor infrastructure, poor education, a lack of modern technology, a weak and fragile economy, the one thing they happen to have an awful lot of is fresh water. Something they could actually turn a profit on selling to the eeeeevullll Jews (and Jordanians and Palestinians too...) but of course they won't. They'd rather squat in the dust.

Well good for them. Eventually the Jordan basin community will develop other sources for fresh water and you can bet that on that day Syria will come crying and then they will turn around and scream to whomever will listen that the dreaded Jew menace is refusing to 'cooperate'.

[takeo]

Rob

Sinai is an exception yes (because of the money). The rest of Egypt hates Israeli´s (more than any other Arab country), despite the peace. You said Syria will change because of a future peace like Egypt...

Even if you go to the south, Alexandria or Cairo people are friendly.
Once peace is signed the Syrian regime will change its attitude.

You mean one cannot travel from Israel to Syria via Jordan? You sure can...

At least untill last year you couldn't. Anyone with an israeli stamp in his pasport can't enter Syria. I think it's still the case.

and you can also meet a lot of Syrians during travels in other Arab countries.

Yes, mostly intelligent interesting people. I think they are more sophisticated than Egyptians, who are basically just uneducated peasants.

Like I said, ask Egyptians what will happen if they visit Israel. The Egyptian government will not only target them, but the rest of the family.

Egypt even trades with Israel. Everyone in Egypt will tell you Mubarak is a puppet of the US.

[takeo]

Mediocrates

Syria cannot afford to enlighten their populace about Israel. Moreover it can't afford to allow them any sort of freedoms that you personally would come to expect. Otherwise millions of them would up and leave.

Millions of Syrians travel to Lebanon and Turkey annually. Most of them return. Moreover many have satellite dishes and they know exactly what life is like in the West (wich is far better than Israel). Most druzes in Israel refuse to adopt Israeli nationality and keep their allegence to Syria.

The Alawites are a tiny minority who've managed to cling to power through brutality. Remove that force and the whole place descends into anarchy.

that's equally the case in most Arab countries. If not most Asian countries. Anarchy is not preferable over the Alawites, that's for sure, noone wants another Iraq.

And the ironic thing is that in lieu of having no oil, poor infrastructure, poor education, a lack of modern technology, a weak and fragile economy, the one thing they happen to have an awful lot of is fresh water. Something they could actually turn a profit on selling to the eeeeevullll Jews (and Jordanians and Palestinians too...) but of course they won't. They'd rather squat in the dust.

once Israel returns the Golan heights there will be trade. And compared to other Arab nations, Syria is neither poor, backwards nor uneducated, despite the lack of oil.

[Mediocrates]

There's nothing TO trade. Walnuts? Oh wait I forgot, there is something to trade. More rockets into Israel in exchange for more land. The peaceful way of all racist French communists.

[GratefulFred]

Millions of Syrians travel to Lebanon and Turkey annually. Most of them return. Moreover many have satellite dishes and they know exactly what life is like in the West (wich is far better than Israel).

On my YES dish we can pick up many Arab stations and their TV quality is 1960s level at best. Lebannon has a METV station showing Bonanza reruns. If I were making satalite dishes I would consider the Syrian market right after marketing to snails and plankton.

[Mediocrates]

The thousands of Druze in the Golan don't WANT to be Syrian. But they put up with being quiet about it because their extended clans still live there and are and would be subject to oppression and repression.

[takeo]

The thousands of Druze in the Golan don't WANT to be Syrian. But they put up with being quiet about it because their extended clans still live there and are and would be subject to oppression and repression.

The large majority of Druzes were offered Israeli citizenship but refused, and kept their Syrian identity.

[Mil]

And other Druzes serve in the IDF. Go figure.... There is even a Druze Muslim parliamentarian in the Likud (in fact quite a few Druze vote Likud).

[pagan]

And other Druzes serve in the IDF. Go figure.... There is even a Druze Muslim parliamentarian in the Likud (in fact quite a few Druze vote Likud).

Druze are not pure Muslims. Their islamic beliefs are 'contaminated' by some eastern beliefs. Less Islam means more sense.

[dayag]

The thousands of Druze in the Golan don't WANT to be Syrian. But they put up with being quiet about it because their extended clans still live there and are and would be subject to oppression and repression.

Also, given that the Golan might one day be under Syrian rule again, they were probably smart to keep their Syrian citizenship.

[uriah007]

'Anti-Israel' adviser top pick for ambassador to Syria?: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=106743

JAFFA, Israel – Daniel Kurtzer, President Obama's Mideast adviser, is the lead candidate to serve as U.S. ambassador to Syria, a senior Egyptian security official told WND.

Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, long has been seen in Jerusalem as one of the Jewish state's greatest foes in Washington. He has been identified by Jewish and Israeli leaders, including prime ministers speaking on the record, as biased against Israel and is notorious for urging extreme concessions from the Jewish state.

In a surprise move, the White House in June announced it decided to send a U.S. ambassador back to Syria, a dramatic sign of reconciliation between the two countries. The U.S. withdrew the American ambassador to Syria in 2005 after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria was widely blamed in the murder.

Syria, in a military alliance with Iran, also is accused of supporting the insurgency against U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Syria openly supports Palestinian terrorism, and hosts the leaders of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist groups.

According to a source with close ties to the State Department, the Obama White House recently transferred responsibility of U.S.-Syrian policy from State to the White House.

The White House did not immediately respond to a query about whether Kurtzer was being considered for the position.

'Foe of Israel'

Kurtzer came under fire last summer when he traveled to Damascus where he reportedly urged Syrian officials to fast-track negotiations with Israel aiming at an Israeli withdrawal from the strategic Golan Heights. Kurtzer at the time stressed he was not in Damascus as part of Obama's campaign but instead was visiting as a private expert attending an international lawyers conference.

The Golan looks down on Israeli population centers and twice was used by Syria to mount ground invasions into the Jewish state.

Kurtzer has been blasted by mainstream Jewish organizations, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which usually restrains itself when commenting on U.S. officials. "We oppose the appointment of Kurtzer because of his long, documented record of hostility to and severe pressure upon Israel," said Zionist Organization of America National Chairman Morton Klein.

He has angered Israeli leaders many times for pushing Israel into what they described as extreme concessions to the Palestinians. "With Jews like Kurtzer, it is impossible to build a healthy relationship between Israel and the United States," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nentanyahu was quoted saying in 2001 by Israel's Haaretz newspaper.

Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir said Kurtzer "frequently pressured Israel to make one-sided concessions to the Arabs; he constantly blamed Israel for the absence of Mideast peace, and paid little or no attention to the fact that the Palestinians were carrying out terrorist attacks and openly calling for the destruction of Israel." (...)

[Mediocrates]

So he's now in good company with Assad. That makes him pretty much a reflection of the rest of the State Department for the last 60 years.

[uriah007]

It is quite interesting why the Obama administration would choose Kurtzer as their ambassador to Syria and no one else. I wonder what Bibi Netanyhau thinks of this pick. But it is quite clear to me that Obama & Co. are no friends of Israel.