Syria don't want, can't make and won't maintain real peace. They do want to regain the Golan they had used to threaten, pester and Attack Israel before we took it in defensive action. Now the Golan is in Israel's possession which caused Syria to show some restraint. To convince Israel that they really want peace, Syria should come forward and spell out what they offer in return for what they want. Trading "land for peace" is immoral and unworkable. Syria should offer, accept and be satisfied with territorial compromise.

Syria ready to disengage from Iran? Anyone who believes this, including Liel, ought to be locked up as being crazy. Leopards don't change their spots. Syria has no reason to want to make peace with Israel except to get back the Golan Heights and once again turn on Israel this time with the support of Iran and possibly Russia.

The more that people like the author cravenly try to convince Israel to capitulate the more volatile and dangerous the situation becomes. The only formula for a deal with syria is PEACE FOR PEACE!!! The Golan is formally and permanently part of Israel. If syria wants to ally itself with the West and have part of the Golan a nature preserve that syrians can visit that is fine and good---BUT the Golan remains forever under Israeli sovereingty. Why don't the self proclaimed experts and professional capitulationists just keep quiet and stop broadcasting that Israel is weak and desperate. On the contrary-Israel is strong, powerful and in control of the Golan FOREVER.

With people like Liel no wonder Israeli foreign policy has been non-existant for decades. There is abbsolutely no parallel between Chalabi and this Syrian.

I am not 100% sure the Syrian Iranian alliance is so "unnatural" Assad is an Alawite and member of a minority group in Syria but, obviously he and his family have the power. A similar situation does exist in Tehran and they can help each other retain power and authority.

B"H You tried that out with Hamas, and you got territory in exchange for terror. I rather like "territory for security" meaning that territory is used for Israeli security and then for Syrian security after if there is consistency. But under OSLO, in Gaza you got "territory for terror". I cannot see how an arrangement with Syria could be workable to keep the attack option out. I think it would be too tempting for Syria to attack Israel if it were on the Golan. And what would prevent changing its policy again with Iran, giving Iran three camps to face Israel against: one in Lebanon, one in Gaza, and one in the Golan? These concerns primarly prevent me from supporting your approach, Dr. Liel, of taking land out of Israel's security control. I am convinced your arguments are incorrect here.

He is a dangerous, delusional retard.

A political appointee who was put in the foreign ministry to further Meretz's agenda is not any more trustworthy than the Syrian opposition. Actually must less.

2 big problems I see that are neglected by Mr. Liel. 1) the International Tribunal which is trying to gain jurisdiction over Syrian Nationals up to and possibly including Assad. 2) The Lebanon and Syrian involvement. Any such shift in alliances as envisaged by Mr. Liel would mean Syria would have to give up all claims to Lebanon and I seriously doubt Assad will or can do that. I have serious doubts as to Assad's ability to go against the Army which may be more loyal now to Iran, their supplier and paymaster. For consideration,

Swiss has money, a lot of cash. The partially financed the trip of more than 200 Israely pro-Arab activists to EU. This guy has a job paid by unknown people which will result in another war. What he was doing before the last summer disastor? Clealy, he was not fighting in Lebanon, and he does not live on the border. That is why he likes war - he will make even more money.

Yuu babble like you are Assad's best buddy. Who knows, maybe you ARE. Once again another Israeli WACADEMIC is ready to join the Queen of Surrender, Livni, in another lethal experiment with Jewish lives. They learn NOTHING from their mistakes and keep hoping one of their experiments will prove how RIGHT they are and they will be showered with KOL HAKAVODS!!! kol hakavod, Liel, kol hakavod. Happy? Now disappear back into your rats nest where you can join Shulamit and Tzipi.

The article is a bag full of wishful thinking. (i) "Syria is ready to disengage from Iran – the alliance is not natural for Damascus". Quite on contrary - Teheran is a strategic ally for Damascus and has been a guarantor and a lifeline for the alawite regime for a long time. I can only hope that Mr. Liel remembers on what side was Syria during the Iran-Iraq war. (ii) “Israeli interest… is to bring about the complete cutting off… ties between Syria, Iran and Hizbullah and the expulsion of Hamas from Damascus. …The doors must be opened for Syria to move into the West… in a similar fashion… that disconnected Egypt from the former Soviet Union”. These are all noble goals indeed, but why none of them has been achieved? Certainly not because of the lack of attempts. Apparently, Mr. Liel misreads the strategic interests and calculations behind Syrian bad behavior and hopes to change it by offering a mixture of diplomatic niceties, economic incentives and the Golan Heights as the main attraction. Being a seasoned diplomat, I am sure Mr. Liel knows well that historic circumstances that moved Egypt away from the Soviet Union were completely different than those of the present day Syria. The rest of the paper sounds like a Disneyland promotion along the lines of Oslo and the New Middle East. The Golan deal would “…allow for a Syrian-Israeli peace agreement…, boost the moderate camp in the Arab world…, turn (the Golan) into a nature reserve and tourist site.... The Syrians would be forbidden from diverting water resources on the Golan Heights…” Anyone ordinarily familiar with Syria’s history knows that the name of the game is not Golan but Lebanon, or “Western Syria” as it is depicted on Syrian maps and where Damascus has vital strategic, political and economic interests. Is Mr. Liel willing to surrender only the crucial Israeli strategic asset or his prescription includes Lebanon as well?

No one on earth has been able to trust B.Assad yet this guy asserts that he and is government are trustworthy. Who is he trying to fool and what is his interest in saying that. Enough lies on the corps of Israeli and Arabs murdered by the Syrian regime and their cohorts.

Man, how stupid some intelligent people can be! And when I think that neo-Liberals like Dr. Liel ran our Foreign Office! No wonder that we're doing so badly explaining our position and purpose abroad! No wonder that we are percieved like gullible wimps who still believe that Katiushas in the bedroom, tanks along the border and Syrian support of Hezbollah are signs that Assad wants to cut ties with Iran! Man, you really need to have your brains checked and your logic re-adjusted to be so blind and draw such imbecile conclusions! I am afraid though that we have many more Dr. Liels in our government - I certainly see many like him hysterically asking to open the borders and let the terrorists from Gaza get into Israel just because they are killed by other terrorists! Dr. Liel, I know that you are comfortable in your Lala-Land but for God's sake - keep your hole shut! Your're making a fool of yourself and you're damaging our image abroad!

Read what Liel said. Everything he said is exactly what Nevil Chamberlain said in 1938. This guy is obsessed with giving up the Golan. Instead of giving up the Jewish Golan, we should give up Liel and Beilin to Syria. Liel to stupid to know, Syria is killing all these anti Syrian Lebanese politicians and journalists in Lebanon. Syria also called for the arrest of Walid Jumblatt. There's a reason why so many Islamic terrorist groups have their headquarters in Syria. Iran is the main backer of Syria. Is this loony Liel going to believe Syria wont have relations with Iran. Turkey has relations with Iran. He wants to give up the Jewish Golan for a peace of paper. Liel believes in Land for Terror camps. The majority of Israelis must reject this surrender policy.

Can someone send this guy to become South Korean. I'll ask for half of Syria Korea for a peace of paper. Liel is the dream of every dictator.

Where do you think Hamas got its weapons from. Egypt plays a double game by promoting hatred in its media and arming Hamas. Tell me Liel, where do you think Hamas got its weapons from? Egypt Then Liel says we should give Syria aid. Your going to give this murderous dictator aid money. Is Liel insane? Assad would then think, he can kill all of Lebanon's anti Syrian politicians with no consequences. It would tell Assad, he can get away with anything he wants. You would be at the mercy of Assad. Kahane once said, the Jews had the stupiest people around. He was right.

Has it occurred to the good Dr that Israel's problems with Syria predate Syrian-Irani aliance? As a matter of fact israel was being shelled from the Syrian Golan when Israel was having almost friendly relations with Iran. Does everybody in Israel can remember only last year, at best? How about remembering a few weeks before the '67 war. Does anybody still remember the meaning of the 'Auschwitz borders.'

I think most of the world believes it to mean a peace agreement with honor.....Rumor has it that its a Ruze ...

He says: "The Syrians would be forbidden from diverting water resources on the Golan Heights and they would be obligated to sign a peace and complete normalization agreement between the two countries." He talks about 'forbidden' and pieces of paper called 'agreements'. I have heard the same rhetoric used for the palestinians and look where it got us. This guy still doesnt understand the enemy. After 60 yrs of arab feeding theyre population of hatred and venom and jew hatred he thinks he can turn the population around on the flip of a coin and a piece of paper. He just cant fathom the notion only complete erasure of Israel will pacify them. But then this guy comes from the foreign ministry so no big suprise here. They were always moronic and short sighted and part of the problem. This writer is a has been and not to be trusted for wisdom of which he clearly displays none of.

HE IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED - THE LEFT IS DRINKING KOOL AID AGAIN

Just like there will be peace when we give back Gaza....or come out of Southern Lebanon. This guy strikes me as a deluded leftist, even though I've never heard of him. This country would be wise to remember what they did at the inception of Israel in 1948.

You are right on point. The questions you present are both insightful and prudent. Let's hope somebody is taking them into consideration. We can hope that Iranian influence in Syria is perceived as undue, unwelcome and problematic thus leading to a "general" rejection by the Syrian populace. But, hope isn't really a course of action is it? I know that often times the people and the bureaucracy under Assad do things that aren't exactly in accordance with the plans in Damascus. Contrary to instructions guards at the border between Iraq and Syria have taken action to detain or apprehend dangerous individuals. It is a difficult call though and too much time has passed and at a minimum we must convince the government in Damascus it isn't to late and there is something to gain from interaction with more moderate nations in the region. Assad needs to know that interacting with other regional states isn't only a necessity it can even be prosperous. I am not convinced that return of the GH is an absolute requirement of Damascus I am willing to bet they would rather be included and recognized in emerging International dichotomy rather than remaining ostracized.

The phenomenon illustrated by Dr. Liel's article ocurs in all western democracies; we have the example of France, whihc has sided in the past not only with iraq and Iran against the U.S. but also with the Soviet Union, and many Europeans have done the same. The U.S. under left-wing administrations has repeatedly sacrificed its allies as an offering of friendship to its enemies (Nowhere is this more apperent than in Carter's betrayal of Israel for the sake of Egypt). But Israel of course takes the cake, having managed to srrender most of its territory to nations who have sworn to (and tried to) destroy it, while leaving what few allies it had in the region to be slaughtered (think SLA and the hundreds of collaborators and just peaceful people who have been killed by terrorists in the territories). Somehow in the liberal's mind you just can't trust someone until he has at least promised to kill you, and better yet tried to make good on that promise.

Otherwise he would be insignificant, and who can live with that? If the Syrians wish peace then he will go down in history as a peacemaker, a far more pleasing fate.

Jews dont listen to this liar. Liel is trying to sell the Jews to the wolves. He's another Rudolf Kastner. I'm proud Jews in the Jewish Golan are standing up for their land and will not listen to this Arab appeaser.