GEA Launches Theme of Eid Al-Fitr Events 2023    Foreign Minister Receives Telephone Call from Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus    Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport Receives 1st Batch of Umrah Performers in the Blessed Month of Ramadan.    IMC organizes its 1st International Nursing Symposium    King, Crown Prince inaugurate Jood Al-Iskan Charity Subscription Campaign with SR150 million donations    Immerse in the Spirit of Ramadan at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh    Foundation stone laid for Mall of Srinagar, developed by EMAAR LuLu in Srinagar – Jammu & Kashmir    Saudi Banks: SR 417 million investment by banks within its social responsibility in 2022    Saudi Arabia begins talks with Syria to resume consular services    Saudi Arabia is on Track to Achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030    Malaysian Prime Minister Visits Headquarters of IsDB in Jeddah    Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Receives Ministry of Islamic Affairs Delegates for Imamate Program    SFDA: The Best Method for Preserving Dates is Freezing    KSrelief Distributes 700 Food Baskets in Sudan    Aramco Signs MoU with Samsung Electronics to Localise Industrial 5G Communication Networks and Facilitate Digital Transformation in Saudi Arabia    Asian shares mixed    Public Security chief: Begging at Grand Mosque will be dealt with firmly    Beethoven hair tests reveal composer's genetic health woes    Immigration fuels Canada's record population growth in 2022    Police swoop across Brazil to crack 'kidnap plot'    US raises interest rates despite banking turmoil    Prince Faisal, Sheikh Salem review solid Saudi-Kuwait relations    Saudi Central Bank's Decision on Repo and Reverse Repo Rate    Minister of Foreign Affairs Meets with Foreign Minister of Kuwait    OIC Secretary-General Calls for Alternative Water Sources and Regulations for Water Secure Future    Kuwait SP Secures Aggregate Win against Algeria's JS Saoura in 2023 King Salman Club Cup    Bollywood songs removed from music app Spotify    WHO: Saudi Arabia is among the leading countries with low consumption of salt    Bank Albilad is the strategic partner of the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Introduced competitive financing offers and hosted over 3,000 public figures from inside and outside the Kingdom    Al-Shabab bags Saudi women's swimming championship title    Almisehal set to be re-elected SAFF president    Construction of race circuits planned around Saudi regions    Centrepoint embraces the season with its 'Ramadan In Bloom' campaign    Main Race of Formula 1 STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 to Kick off Today, Sunday    Saudi Marshal Team Set to Participate in F1 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix    Jeddah Corniche Circuit Is Ready to Receive the World's Formula 1 Champions    SFDA prevents entry of 1.2 tons of rotten truffles    Saudi Arabia Wins 1st Place in Cardiology Fellowship Competition of AHA's Annual Conference    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques International Endurance Cup 2023 Kicks off in AlUla    Manga Productions Signs MoU with Animoca Brands to Develop Web3 Projects in Arab Region    Legal wrangle over inheritance of SR80 million by young Syrian woman after millionaire husband's death    India celebrates historic Golden Globe for RRR 'Naatu Naatu' wins best original song award    Successful, but not happy?    Jeddah court orders man to pay defaulted dowry to divorcee    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    Pilgrims Perform Dhuhr and Asr Prayers at Arafat Holy Site    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Djerejian: Land for Peace Approach is the Only Sustainable Formula
Published in AL HAYAT on 18 - 06 - 2009

Washington - As the Obama administration enters the final round of its consultations on the Peace Process and sets the pace for resuming negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, U.S. career diplomat Edward Djerejian who served in eight administrations, weighs in on Washington's efforts especially those related to Syria in achieving peace. Djerejian, the author of “Danger and Opportunity”, stresses in an interview with Al-Hayat that the Palestinian track should remain the focal target of the Peace Process, and cautions against substituting the land for peace approach with other “unsustainable” formulas.
-Envoy George Mitchell made a recent visit to Syria, how important is this visit?
Envoy's Mitchell visit to Syria demonstrates that President Barack Obama is intent in pursuing a comprehensive peace settlement not only on the Israeli-Palestinian front, but also on the Israeli- Syrian, and Israel-Lebanese fronts. This is a very important aspect of his ability to succeed by recognizing the interconnectivity between all these tracks. Nevertheless, the Israeli Palestinian track should be the focal target of these efforts, because of the centrality of that issue. But at the same time engaging Syria in a dialogue on may issues not only the Peace Process but also on its serious regional influence especially vis a vis groups such as Hizballah and also on its relation with Iran.
-What incentives can the US offer to Syria to change its behavior. We have seen engagement in the past, even during the Bush administration that did not produce results. What is different this time?
I think what the Syrians are really interested in is to test President Obama's proposition that he is prepared to enter into a strategic dialogue with adversarial regimes. The Syrian government is interested in a dialogue that is not exclusively focused on one issue but incorporates a whole set of issues, including the Israeli Syrian prospect for peace, cooperation on combating terrorism, exchanging perspectives on Lebanon and securing the border with Iraq. Such dialogue will help in determining the nature of the bilateral relations between the two countries.
-Do you think the Syrian government is interested in achieving peace or they're more inclined to be part of a process?
In my experience with the Syrian government starting with former President Hafez Assad and in my meetings with current President Bashar Assad, Damascus has continued to adopt a policy line choosing Peace as a “strategic option”. What that means is that Syria is prepared to engage in the peace talks. This was most recently demonstrated in the indirect Israeli-Syrian talks mediated by Turkey. There is no question in my mind that Syria wants to engage with Israel on Peace talks. The Syrians have also indicated on a level as high as President Assad that when those talks get serious they want the U.S. to participate in these talks.
-How important is the U.S. participation?
I was present at the Madrid peace conference (1991) and helped in developing the peace framework it generated. I've also dealt with the subject matter directly as: ambassador to Syria (1989-1991), Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs (1991-1993), and as ambassador to Israel (1993-1994). It was clear at that point that the Madrid framework was comprehensive involving all the parties, and since then the Israeli-Syrian talks have undergone many periods of engagement -some direct some indirect- under many administrations in Washington and many governments in Israel. There is a legacy of negotiations on which many of key issues of land, peace and access of water have been dealt with and in detail. It is not an exaggeration when some say that eighty percent of the issues have been dealt with. What is needed now is to reengage, and to have the political will of the Israeli and the Syrian and the U.S. governments to conclude these talks.
- With eighty percent of the problems being dealt with, would you advocate a Syria first option?
Well, I wouldn't advocate a Syria first option. All tracks should go at the same pace, and I am against the “either-or” option. The Palestinian issue remains the core political problem and if it is ignored it would be difficult for any Arab state to conclude a peace agreement without some way forward on Palestinian track.
-Would you advise President Obama to put together a plan, an American plan to break the stalemate, or maybe call for a regional conference for peace?
The way that the Obama administration is moving on process is smart. In having Senator George Mitchell as an emissary, they have a superb negotiator who is doing very hard work to bring the Israeli and Palestinian issues into focus. In determining exactly how to proceed on the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, it is smart to analyze the situation before you start acting and that is exactly what the administration is doing. I think they are in a period of gestation, where they are developing what would become their negotiating strategy. The strategy I think will be focused on the Palestinian track but will also accommodate whatever movement can be made on the Israeli-Syrian track. There is some speculation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, given his narrow political coalition and difficulties he has politically on the issue of Settlements in West Bank and Jerusalem that he might choose to move on Syrian track. That is an argument that has been often made. But whatever he decides to do, it cannot be at the expense of Palestinian negotiations.
-On Iran, could the Syrian-Iranian alliance stand in the way of brokering a peace agreement? Or on the flip side, could brokering peace with Syria peel it away from Iran?
I think that the Syrians and the Iranians have an understanding that Syria will pursue its national interests in the Arab Israeli conflict which is to regain the Golan Heights. For example the Iranians did not make any noise over the talks mediated by Turkey, and I think this what will happen if talks become more direct or with the U.S. That does not mean that the relationship will break or collapse, there will still be a relationship.
-What about the strategic shift for peace that the Israelis are asking Syrian government to make, not on the land for peace approach, but a strategic shift so Syria stops supporting Hizballah and Hamas?
Any “peace for peace” approach is doomed to failure. Arab-Israeli negotiations have to be conducted on the basis of “land for peace” and based on two UNSCR 242 and 338. That is the framework for Madrid and that remains the only valid framework for making peace. Nevertheless, the results of moving forward on land for peace negotiations will have to accommodate the issues of Hamas, Hizballah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and a whole range of issues but the focal point for any formula is land for peace, any other approach is simply not sustainable


Clic here to read the story from its source.