A senior Israeli official has warned that Tel Aviv is on the verge of a military confrontation with Syria should peace efforts fail.
http://www.entekhabnews.net/ASIA-NEWS/Politics/13961.html
"We're on a collision course with Syria," said Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, who heads the Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau.
"If I'm right, we need to exhaust all avenues of reaching a potential peace with Syria" said Gilad adding that if Israel fails do so "there will be rockets in large numbers targeting Tel Aviv,"The Jerusalem Postreported.
Israel and Syria have held four rounds of indirect talks before Damascus put negotiations on hold in protest to the Israeli deadly offensive against the Gaza Strip.
Israel had formerly said a peace agreement could be reached only if Damascus breaks its ties with Iran and ends its support for Hamas and Hezbollah.
Syria however has refused to scale back ties with its allies, Iran, Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, demanding Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East War.
Gilad however, reiterated the demands, saying as part of a peace agreement, Tel Aviv should ask Damascus to cut ties with Iran, which would cut Syrian support to Hezbollah and Hamas. This type of peace, he said, would weaken 'the hostile coalition' in the region.
He concluded that Israel had much to gain and little to lose by trying to reach such a deal with Syria.
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Top defense official: Israel is already on collision course with Syria, should at least strive for peace
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1061210.html
Top defense official Amos Gilad said on Tuesday that it was imperative for Israel to attempt to reach a peace accord with Syria, in order to weaken the influence of extremist elements across the Middle East.
Israel "must strive for peace with Syria because we are on a collision course with [the Syrians]," Gilad told participants at the 9th annual Herzliya Conference.
According to Gilad, peace with Syria is a realistic prospect. "We were on the verge of war in 2006, and the next time there is a confrontation with Hezbollah and they fire Syrian-made rockets at us, it is not certain that we will be able to respond."
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"Peace with Syria, if properly realized, could weaken a coalition of extremists and weaken threats that Israel has difficulty dealing with," Gilad said. "We have to give this a chance. Since we are already on a collision course [with Syria], it will not matter if we fail."
Meanwhile, defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Thursday that the transfer of particular weapons systems from Syria to Hezbollah would obligate Israel to take action in Lebanon.
During a tour of the northern border on Tuesday, Barak addressed concerns that Syria was looking to transfer anti-aircraft missiles to the Lebanon-based militants group, vowing that Israel would respond to such an illicit deal.
The defense minister, who was addressing an Israel Defense Unit on the northern border, would not detail in his address which weapons systems were allegedly being dealed.
"There are [weapons] system capable of tipping the status quo in Lebanon and we will need to consider our response should they be transferred," he said.
http://www.entekhabnews.net/ASIA-NEWS/Politics/13961.html
"We're on a collision course with Syria," said Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, who heads the Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau.
"If I'm right, we need to exhaust all avenues of reaching a potential peace with Syria" said Gilad adding that if Israel fails do so "there will be rockets in large numbers targeting Tel Aviv,"The Jerusalem Postreported.
Israel and Syria have held four rounds of indirect talks before Damascus put negotiations on hold in protest to the Israeli deadly offensive against the Gaza Strip.
Israel had formerly said a peace agreement could be reached only if Damascus breaks its ties with Iran and ends its support for Hamas and Hezbollah.
Syria however has refused to scale back ties with its allies, Iran, Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, demanding Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East War.
Gilad however, reiterated the demands, saying as part of a peace agreement, Tel Aviv should ask Damascus to cut ties with Iran, which would cut Syrian support to Hezbollah and Hamas. This type of peace, he said, would weaken 'the hostile coalition' in the region.
He concluded that Israel had much to gain and little to lose by trying to reach such a deal with Syria.
----------------------------------------------------
Top defense official: Israel is already on collision course with Syria, should at least strive for peace
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1061210.html
Top defense official Amos Gilad said on Tuesday that it was imperative for Israel to attempt to reach a peace accord with Syria, in order to weaken the influence of extremist elements across the Middle East.
Israel "must strive for peace with Syria because we are on a collision course with [the Syrians]," Gilad told participants at the 9th annual Herzliya Conference.
According to Gilad, peace with Syria is a realistic prospect. "We were on the verge of war in 2006, and the next time there is a confrontation with Hezbollah and they fire Syrian-made rockets at us, it is not certain that we will be able to respond."
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"Peace with Syria, if properly realized, could weaken a coalition of extremists and weaken threats that Israel has difficulty dealing with," Gilad said. "We have to give this a chance. Since we are already on a collision course [with Syria], it will not matter if we fail."
Meanwhile, defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Thursday that the transfer of particular weapons systems from Syria to Hezbollah would obligate Israel to take action in Lebanon.
During a tour of the northern border on Tuesday, Barak addressed concerns that Syria was looking to transfer anti-aircraft missiles to the Lebanon-based militants group, vowing that Israel would respond to such an illicit deal.
The defense minister, who was addressing an Israel Defense Unit on the northern border, would not detail in his address which weapons systems were allegedly being dealed.
"There are [weapons] system capable of tipping the status quo in Lebanon and we will need to consider our response should they be transferred," he said.
