Israel and Syria

Israel won the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war, an embarrassment which Syria has never forgotten. This analyst says Israel and Syria aren’t friends now, but new regional politics have made Israel adapt which has made negotiations more likely than ever. This analyst says the most important thing for Syria is to get back the Golan, which could also make Israel safer according to this analyst. The analyst says Israel and the U.S.’s policy to put pressure on Syria has only pushed Syria to support non-state players. This analyst points out that Israel talks with Hezbollah and Hamas when necessary and the U.S. has dealt with non-state players in Iraq. Both the analysts say what matters most from the next Israeli Prime Minister is that he or she have the mandate of the people. On the streets of Damascus today, most people say they favor peace with Israel. This man says he’s looking forward to Israeli tourists in his shop. But most Syrian say they wouldn’t welcome an Israeli embassy in Syria. Unofficial talks between Israel and Syria today were cancelled, but there are indications they’ll resume soon.