Opinion
The way to Damascene conversion
Shlomo Ben-Ami
Published: 21.10.07, 18:30
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18 Talkbacks for this article
1. Keep dreaming ...
Paul ,   Canada   (10.21.07)
but don't be surprised when you wake up.
2. If Syria abadons Iran will Hariri come back to life?
Ilan ,   Ariel   (10.21.07)
Just so. Is not in Israel's interest to lock in Syiran control on Lebanon or to grant clemency to Assad for being a murderous bastard. Let him hang then talk peace.
3. Shlomo, Have you not learned ANYTHING???
Malcolm   (10.21.07)
Shlomo! Can't you read even the simplest of creatures like ASSAD? He is completely inbred and lacks the IQ of the average working man. He doesn't just double talk , he triple and quadruple talks. In other words he is beyond untrustworthy. He was fathered by one of the regions most sadistic & notorious dictators and is now under the thumb of his fathers true heirs. Assad Jr. is a weak follower who tries to get the approval of his bosses by taking "tough" ant-American actions in Iraq. To further give the appearance of being a strong leader he looks for every opportunity to piss off the West. So he has become an all out terrorist and allied himself with the Russians, Chinese, North Koreans and of course the ayatollahs. Assad is stubborn, stupid, a bit arrogant and slightly insane. So give up your foolish dreaming...he ain't gonna turn his back on his new buddies and risk upsetting the hardliners in Damascus to make you happy. that stupid he' s not.
4. Hey Shlomo, man
Rose Lenses ,   Woodstock   (10.21.07)
That's some strong acid you been droppin, man ......
5. Avi Shlaim
Ariel Szvalb ,   Argentina   (10.21.07)
Shlomo, After your last shameful book, putting all the blame for everything in Israel, you insist in ridiculous and imaginary solutions. Your friendship with Avi Shlaim is ruining you...
6. Ben-ami and syria
marcel ,   canada   (10.22.07)
This is the same expert who offered Arafat almost everything at Taba. Does he really think that Syria would disengage from Hez and iran. Its one thing to want to negotiate a peace. its another thing to be totally detached from reality. Ami has been totally discredited.
7. Can you believe he was a foreign minister?
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (10.22.07)
Our own politicians are the biggest threat we face, more dangerous than Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, or Iran. Not a day goes by without another screwy idea, another bad policy decision, another new concession from some politician or ex-politician, all of which undermine our security or in some way, work against our national interest. And almost daily, we get another flawed analysis, another delusional recommendation, or another "it's all our fault" article. Unbelievable.
8. Ben Ami is a brilliant strategist: He has my full endorement
Neville Chamberlain ,   London UK   (10.22.07)
9. Terry can you believe he was public security Minister
Danny   (10.22.07)
or a history prof at TA University? Not sure which terrifies me more....
10. Who are you trying to fool?
FO ,   Belgium   (10.22.07)
Who are you trying to fool? Yourself, the Israeli public, or both? As a former Israeli foreign minister you should now that the Golan Heights do not, and never belonged to Syria. If you forgot or try to forget some very important historical elements, or worse, to sweep them under the carpet, then allow me, Mr. Ben-Ami, to refresh your memeory, even against your will: the Golan was part of Mandatory Palestine as decided by resolutions voted the 24th of July 1922 by the League of Nations. Article number 5 of the resolutions says the following: "The Mandatory shall be responsible for seeing that no Palestine territory shall be ceded or leased to, or in any way placed under the control of, the Government of any Foreign Power". Nevetheless, Britain, the Mandatory of Palestine, ceded, in total and flagrant breach of article 5, the Golan in 1923, to France, the Mandatory of Syria. Amazing that the League's resolutions, a road map for Britain, for its behaviour in Palestine, for implementing the Jewish National Home, disappeared from Zionist literature, under leftist pressure. It is obvious that the implementation of the League's resolutions and its Preamble, and I quote one sentence: "Whereas recognition has been given to the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and the grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country", could have avoided partially or totally the Shoa. For Mr. Ben-Ami and his colleagues, all this should be hidden from the Jewiish People and the Israeli public.
11. why not get Iran to be our friends and leave syria???
i want what he's ,   smoking   (10.22.07)
12. That's a hard sell-good luck.
Yakov ,   USA   (10.22.07)
13. Thank you Sholomo, for calling it a...
Persian CAT   (10.22.07)
"peace scheme", and that's exactly what it is to server the interests of the Zionist jihadis who rule Israel. Syria know this, Iran knows this and the whole world knows this. Those who want to "flip" Syria are pushing these views just because Israel is at a dead-end and reaching for straws. The American people whose pockets have been picked by the Zionists for years are demanding results. Therefore yet another "scheme" is being presented to keep the money flowing. That's all folks.
14. #9 Danny - Oiy Vey. You're Kidding?
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (10.22.07)
Public Security? But I think the idea of this guy teaching history is more terrifying. What's his thesis on, appeasement policy in 1930's Europe?
15. You are right about Syria, but wrong about Bush, 1
David Turner ,   Richmond, US   (10.22.07)
Bush self-described as a C-student in school and, while that might mean anything from laziness to intellectually challenged, I suspect the latter. As you correctly point out, he has created a quagmire of the Middle East in just seven short years. By removing the dual threats of Afghanistan and Iraq he inadvertently promoted hegemonic Iran. That country now threatens the cross-Gulf Arab oil producers as well as the shipping lanes to an oil-dependent world market and economy (the consequences of that are not difficult to imagine). Thanks to Bush Iran today is a regional power capable of challenging Israel and the US via proxies: Hezbollah and Hamas to Israel; the Shiite militias, and any other group willing to accept the largesse against the US in Iraq. Bush*s only foray into the Israel-Palestine problem was to encourage Abbas and Olmert to accept Hamas as a legitimate political party for purposes of democratic elections, and then to force on both elections they knew would result in a Hamas victory. Were we observing a merely intelligent application of ideology we might expect the learning curve to kick in at some point. Clearly this has not occurred in the past seven years and it is folly to expect Bush to finally take a “smart” pill and realize that Condi is way below the requirements of the job. But since Bush is himself way below those needs, we can forgive him that failing. I suspect, Mr. Ben-Ami, that since his reelection Bush has been taking increasing control of the presidency, by default. His main ideological guides have either left or are drifting towards the shadows, attempting to disassociate from the debacle they encouraged. What we are left with is a president with obvious limitations and a very complex world in which to continue to drift. Iran is one obvious danger zone for Bush mischief; Syria another. From the start this administration has been of the shoot first, talk later (if ever) School of Diplomacy. Israel warned Bush that Iran, not Iraq, is the main problem, that diplomacy and not war the appropriate response. Bush chose war and Iraq. Or take the Israel Palestine issue. Abbas may or not have peace with Israel as his priority. But clearly, in that critical year following the death of Arafat he was more interested in uniting Palestine first, regardless of consequences towards Israel. So rather than disarm Hamas, et al, he elected to encourage them to participate in governance. In the end he created precisely those conditions which resulted in the civil war he sought to avoid, and lost Gaza to boot! And now, a virtual prisoner in Ramallah, Bush-Rice propose a conference to produce peace and an independent State of Palestine. Right. And as for Syria, the spoiler of every previous Israel-Palestine diplomatic breakthrough in the past? For Bush and his limitations Syria is just a member of his Axis of Evil, a pariah country off the diplomatic table unless and until Bashar renounces violence and breaks with Iran, her only secure sponsor! I am not certain that Israel must have permission from Bush to engage Syria. In fact, that Olmert sent an MK from Shas and an MK from Labor to inform Condi that they had no confidence in the peace conference; that Olmert traveled to Russia following the Iran visit by Putin does, I think, demonstrated some degree of independence.
16. more elitist peacenik nonsense
Larry L.   (10.22.07)
Arabs don't distinguish between Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, "Palestine", they consider it all one territory - they have their own name for it, al-sham. Arabs are tribalists, not nationalists. Therefore we are not even speaking the same language, let alone understanding each other.
17. You are right about Syria, wrong about Bush, 2
David Turner ,   Richmond, US   (10.23.07)
Bush is still capable of doing a lot of damage in the year remaining to his presidency, and that has to be taken into account. But is Syria high on his list of distractions, I think not. I believe that Israel could, as has apparently been occurring over the years, conduct a policy of exploration and peace with Assad. As you point out, moving Iran out of Syria; Syria evicting the Palestinian rejectionist are both ends, not preconditions to negotiate. That Bush insists on such is naïve and expected; that Israel goes along is perhaps convenient, but short-sighted. One thing is clear, that peace with Palestine is, at best, years in the future. Palestinians today cannot even make peace among themselves. Peace with Syria is, 1. should the Palestinians ever get it together, the precondition to Israel-Palestine peace; Syria is the sanctuary to rejectionist terror. 2. For Israel, peace with Syria, if attainable, means a quiet, Iranian influence-free northern border; Iran negotiated back to her international boundaries, thereby removing the threat to the Arabian oil producers from the north; negotiated removal of Palestinian rejectionists from Damascus; portal to extended peace with the Arab world, the strategic goal of Israel from day one. But to assume, or even hope that Bush can be convinced to overcome his limitations and invite Syria to Annapolis is, I believe, a mistake. Better to use your authority, Mr. Ben-Ami, and understanding in pursuit of moving Olmert in the direction of Syria First. And finally, thank you for writing your book, Scars of War. I bought copies for both of my daughters, one of whom is living in Israel and entering graduate studies in diplomacy at the Interdisciplinary Center.
18. isnt this joker living overseas now
who listens 2loosers ,   that r traitors   (10.23.07)
with his lover and getting paid by foreign asses determined to destroy isr from within? does anybody even remember him and the damage he did?
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