By Stan Goodenough
Jan 16, 2007
The Israeli daily Ha’aretz Tuesday sought to give a surreptitious push to efforts to get “peace” talks going between Jerusalem and Damascus.
According to an “exclusive” report written by ultra-leftist Akiva Eldar, Israelis and Syrians have been holding secret negotiations with a third-party mediator over the past two years.
According to Eldar, the Israeli side had offered to surrender the Golan Heights and retreat behind the 1949 to 1967 border with Syria.
“Safeguards” were being built in to ensure that the Syrians would not have access to the waters of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).
Both the Sharon and Olmert governments were allegedly apprised of the meetings.
Israeli and Syrian officials deny the report, which was picked up and aired by all the local media.
A number of previous prime ministers – right and left – have indicated their willingness to give up the Golan Heights for the sake of peace with Syria. Most, however, are believed to have made such suggestions secure behind the belief that Syria would never comply with its obligations to ensure that peace.
In the manner of left-wing journalists everywhere, the Israeli media loses no opportunity to influence the nation in the direction of giving away land for “peace.”