It would be a nonsense for Israel engaging in talks with a country that hosts at least a dizaine of terrorist groups,that is an active supporter of hizbullah and an ally of the middle age iranian regime.In the same manner than Syria preconditions talks with Israel exiting Golan Heights so Israel has to preconditions the same talks with ending syrian support of terrorist groups and terrorist regimes.

bill murray did not have to relive the same day over and over again as much as the israel people has , same story diffent day , syria wants everything the golans plus to be in bed with the terrorist and all of israel enemies my opinion there is but two choices give then what they want and have them attack you later , or plan for war and get it on now either way israel is going to war peace will not be found in the heart of the syrian leader......may the lord forever bless the state of israel.....

Who the hell do the French, the Americans, the Russians, THE EU think they are? Can you imaginge them "pressuring" India or Pakistan in their conflict? Can you imagine them "pressuring" Chinato to leave Tibet or Taiwan to give up sovereignty. Of course not. They NEVER do it. But they just keep on doing it to Israel, the place that took the remnant of the people they all, at best, watched get exterminated in the 30s and 40s and (in too many cases in Europe) in which they played a part in that extermination); the place that occupies the very place from which our Jewish brothers and sisters came; the place from which, even when they defend themselves, the rest of us seem to demand from them, ehat we'd never demand for ourselves. It would be nice if all these diplomats and politicians who keep mixing into this one and this only conflict, showed a little equanimity and took their holier-than-thou attitudes and looked inward. France could fix the second class Muslim society its colonialism created and George Mitchell, the lebanese-American could be useful in telling his Arab cousins that they have some responsibility to compromise.

Israel should say NO to all these crap talks that would entail chipping off more of Israel's liberated historic homeland. Peace with the wolves and tigers of the region is meaningless. They will continue to crusade their Jihadism against Israel whether there is peace or no peace. Israel has other important agenda to focus on instead of being distracted by all these external instrusions and manipulations. Israel's national security interest is not about fake peace with its neighbors whose religious teachings are about hating and killing Jews and destroying Israel, but maintaining and developing its GOD-GIVEN and GOD-RESTORED Liberated Historic homeland-Land of Israel.

Syria wants Israel to promise the Golan back BEFORE they sit down to talk. Israel will not, and should not do that. CASE CLOSED Why would Israel even consider a deal with the country helping to arm Hezbollah via weapons transfers from Iran?? One thing at a time, first, Israel completes peace talks with the Pals, if they fail, then no need to talk with Syria. Because the Arab countries are planning for war with Israel, right now. Israel will need the Golan to stop Syria. Without the Golan, Syria cannot move against Israel in a conventional war scenario.

syria is, bashar enjoy your 15 minutes of fame thanks to b.h.o. because after he's VOTED out it's to the BACK DOOR with you as always. your two faced, back stabbing nature WILL be your demise, thats a promise !!!

Have to interfere in Israeli internal politics? Hasn't anyone wondered why Abbas is flying around the different Muslim countries giving them updates on the status of the talks? What business is it of theirs? If the Palestinians want peace then sit down and negotiate a settlement. Understand that both sides will not be happy with the outcome. That is the nature of a compromise, neither side gets all of what it wants. Israel gives up land, for another hostile country, bringing the number to 22 countries around Israel. The Palestinians give the non-existent "right of return", to Israel, and return to their new state Palestine. Really not a bad deal, The Palestinians give up something that never existed....the right of return...for something real, a country. Israel get a piece of paper, that promises peace, and the Palestinians get land. No matter how you look at it the Palestinians come out with the better deal. But Israel is willing to do that for peace, it shows Israel's real commitment for true peace.

And now, Israel will be obliged putting "the points on the i" with the french envoy. Sof, sof, speaking about 242 resolution! Bibi, if you prefer bowing and scraping, better going quickly at home. The french envoy will tell you:" You have to return all the golan and France and the European Union will guarantee the peace with soldiers in a demilitarized Golan., as Begin did in the Sinai!!!" And the cherry on the cake will be an access to the lake for the Syrians. Discussing on the basis of this concept is already high treason!

This isn't going anywhere. The Syrians keep insisting that the Golan Heights must be returned and Israel explains that it has been formally annexed and can no more be returned to Syria than Jerusalem can be returned to Jordan. What part of this do Sarkozy and Mitchell NOT understand, and why are they interfering in the internal affairs of a sovereign state? When the French return Alsace and Lorraine to Germany and Calais to England, that's when Israel will consider carving out the Golan. It's really all that simple.

Please, Turkey is no longer a viable mediator. They are part of the extremist nexus. Syria knows how to say they want peace. The fact is that they don't, and continue to believe that they benefit more by being an ally of Iran and a sponsor of terrorism. What folly. They won't change until Iran and its proxies are defeated in the looming war which destroys Iran's military, nuclear, industrial, research, production, and leadership infrastructure.

The French Envoy should tell Assad the truth. France made a deal with the Brittish of transfer the Golan Heights to French Mandate. France never cared to ask whether that agreement was legal. It was not because in earlier international agreements it was determined to belong to Jewish homeland. Syria cannot get the right for the ownership in any court in the world. Annexation by Israel was right, they just need to get approval thru some international court with legal premises, lawyers need to do some work.

Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1967. Syria tried to recoup it in 1973 but failed. Egypt did the same. After 1973, Israel chose to have a peace deal with Egypt, where Israel returned Sinaii, against Egypt signing a peace agreement. USA even sweetened the deal for the Egyptians by offering yearly financial aid. Syria was expecting to be offered the same deal (minus the USA Aid) i.e Israel would return the Golan Heights and Syria would sign a peace agreement with Israel. Syria was more than eager to accept such terms. Israeli officials however figured that it is not worth it. They figured that since the real threat coming from Egypt has been dealt with, they don't have to worry about Syria as Israel can overwhelmingly defeat - with or without the Golan Heights. Besides Israel can Nuke Syria anytime, if Syria's threat turned serious. Remember, Israeli Warplanes have been bombing Syria on several occasions, without Syria responding, because Syria is too weak, to be able to wage war against Israel. When Syria realized that Israel chose to snub Syria, and keep the Golan Heights (Israel even implanted Israeli settler there) they started making trouble to Israel by supporting any group that would stand against Israel. Syria's offer on the table has and is still the same...Syria will sign a peace agreement with Israel, and will End Hizbullah's existance (by cutting its supply), and will end Hamas safeheaven in Syria, against Israel returning the Golan Heights. Israel still think that dismantling Hizbullah, and Hamas, and peace with Syria (and probably Lebanon) is good enough for Israel to return the Golan Heights.

"Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1967." No, the Golan Heights were annexed in 1981. "After 1973, Israel chose to have a peace deal with Egypt, where Israel returned Sinaii, against Egypt signing a peace agreement." No, Israel needed to cull Egypt out of the herd, as there will never be a concerted Arab unified effort against Israel absent Egypt. It worked. Tee-hee. Sooner or later, Israel will probably have to take back the Sinai, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, Egypt has been effectively culled from the herd. "Remember, Israeli Warplanes have been bombing Syria on several occasions, without Syria responding, because Syria is too weak, to be able to wage war against Israel." Well, if they're that weak, they shouldn't keep trying to wage war, right? That's the logical approach. But Israel will NEVER return to a situation where the kibbutzim in the north are subject to daily shelling, and the tractors had to be armored. Moreover, there's the little matter of the remains of Eli Cohen, z.l. needing to be returned. No deal without that, either. Loved it when those 82 Syrian MIGs (some with Russian pilots) were shot down in a little over a day. Hell, the next time Syria gets a little stupid, Israel will have a new northernmost city -- Aleppo. The Syrians are not to be trusted. That you do is testimony either to your stupidity or to your abject knowledge of history. Actually, to both. The rest of your post is sheer nonsense and not worth the time it would take to address.

No legal work needed. Syria lost the Golan in the course of fighting a war in which Syria was the aggressor. To the victor belong the spoils. You need look no further than what happened to Italy following World War II (the loss of Istria to Yugoslavia and the loss of all of its colonies in Africa), what happened to Japan following World War II (the loss of Iwo Jima and Okinawa to the United States and the loss of about five islands to the Soviet Union) and any number of other wars in which the aggressor suffered an extremely unpleasant outcome. Syria has no standing to bring suit against Israel in any court in the world -- unless, of course, in Syria or in Iran, and who takes those courts seriously?

Israel always has and always will want peace. Syria demands the Golan Hights as a precondition to peace. There do not agree to dismantle the Hisbullah and never have. Mark from responses 5 and 7 was absolutely right. Israel will not give the Golan Hights back to Syria , Its now part of Israel and the people will never allow it. If Syria wants peace then Israel is more then willing to trade peace for peace. Asking Israel to return the Golan Hights to Syria is the same as Asking U.S.A. to return Texas and several other states to Mexico.

First no country is going to be quick to use nukes. When war is conventional, clearly the Golan becomes a strategic piece of real estate. Ask any General. Look at any map of the region. What you say Syria will do, eliminate Hezbollah, throw out Hamas leadership out, etc., I simply don't trust them to honor their word. What you casually referred to in 1973 "to recoup" their land, was a sneak attack on Israel called the Yom Kippur War. You speak as if they had the right to recoup that land, put simply, THEY DID NOT. Sorry when you fight and lose a war of aggression, which is what happened, everybody understands the 1967 war was a defensive war for Israel. Syria was an aggressor nation, so they lose the right to land lost, in such a battle. It only makes sense, otherwise countries would attack other countries to steal their land. Knowing if they lose the war nothing happens to them (because they get their land back), that would be stupid, and invite more wars. By removing the penalties. If you start a war and lose, there must be a penalty. There is, if you lose land, you do not get it back. Unless you enter into a treaty with the country you attacked. If Syria wants land back, fine, but Israel as the winner, calls the shots. Just like the U.S. and Allied forces did in WW2. Japan did not dictate the terms, we did.

So what u r saying is: Syria lost - Israel won. Israel should be permitted to keep the Annexed Golan Heights Fair & Square. Just as Hitler won & Poland lost. So Hitler should have been allowed to keep the Annexed part of Poland& The UK and France shouldn't have declared War against him for doing so. Similarly Saddam won & Kuwait lost. Saddam should have been allowed to keep the annexed Kuwait. With such twisted logic I can imagine how the world would be a much better place to live in. Ps: Syria is not to be trusted. Funny. Even Israeli officials admits that Syria always keep it's word. The calm on Israel-Syrian border is one example

You completely missed the point. The point is to stop aggression/war. All of your examples Hitler, Saddam etc., were of countries and leaders that wrongly started a war to steal land, of course they should not be allowed to keep that land. But when you start a war to steal land, and lose the war, plus some of your land in the process, the country defending itself from your aggression (attempt to steal their land) does get to keep the land, until a peace deal is worked out to the defensive countries best interest. Your logic, is the twisted one. Your logic removes the penalty for aggression, by giving back the land. What would a country have to lose? If I can start a war to steal land, and you, just defending yourself beat me in that war, and take some of my land. But you have to give it back. Then I risk nothing by starting a war. Because even if I lose the war, I get my land back. Your logic increases the possibility of war, by rewarding aggression. Don't you understand the difference between defending yourself and winning the war? Than wrongly starting the war and winning? They are completely different.

I realize I do not speak for Netanyahu but I would not give back the Golen Heights to Syria the Jews have been forced to give back retreat apease where as we get only acts of atack against us I have been robed of many gold silver coins taken by French German bully thugs physicialy I have been denyed equal housing so on lucky a loop hole existed turning 62 being a senior but mediate how fast France wants Israel to give back the Golen Heights they sold us out in 1939 1940 they want to do it again in 2010 RIGHT ??? Thank You... M. S.

"Just as Hitler won & Poland lost. So Hitler should have been allowed to keep the Annexed part of Poland& The UK and France shouldn't have declared War against him for doing so." Germany lost the War. "Similarly Saddam won & Kuwait lost. Saddam should have been allowed to keep the annexed Kuwait." Similarly, Iraq lost the War. "Even Israeli officials admits that Syria always keep it's word." Name one. After you fail to do that, just ask the Lebanese how Syria keeps its "word." "The calm on Israel-Syrian border is one example." No, the calm on the Israeli-Syrian border is because Syria knows exactly what would happen to them if they start trouble. Israel has handed them humiliating defeats on four occasions. They're not particularly interested in military engagement with Israel, not with Israel perched at Quneitra with Damascus in its gunsights.