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The new millennium opened with a curious image for seasoned Middle East watchers: there was Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shar'a, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and U.S. President Bill Clinton, all peering somewhat forlornly at a dry ravine in West Virginia.
This vision encouraged notions that--at long last--an Israel-Syria peace deal might be at hand. To help MERIA readers steer their way through the labyrinth of negotiating details, here is our choice of potentially useful net sites.
And where better to start than with the Golan Heights itself. First, there is Syria's Golan site <http://www.golan-syria.org/index1.htm> which is commendably comprehensive, albeit somewhat polemical. It covers matters of geography, history, economic and water issues, as well as cultural aspects, like tradition and folklore in the Golan region. In addition, it deals with political stances, the June 5, 1967 "aggression and occupation of the Golan," 1973 war, the peace process to date, history of Israeli settlement and the implications of Israel's 1980 decision to annex the area, including UN resolutions. Finally it ends with a link called "Withdrawal from the Golan in the Israeli doctrine."
Israel's own Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives a less thorough analysis of Israeli concerns in the Golan--presumably not wishing to go into too much detail given the uncertainty of the bargaining process and the possible return of the territory to Syria. That said, they do provide useful background information at a link entitled: The Israel-Syria Negotiations (updated to end of 1999) at: <http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00tj0>.
A more detailed news source comes from Israel's London Embassy (though you have to scroll down to access the relevant information): <http://www.israel-embassy.org.uk/london/web/pages/peace.htm>
The views of those outspokenly opposed to Israel giving up the Golan can be found on a number of sites, starting with the independent Golan Residents' Committee: <http://www.golan.org.il>. The Committee is committed to maintaining the territory as fully Israeli. Indeed, it claims to have been behind the Knesset's 1980 annexation bill. The site is also comprehensive, and catalogues Israel's security interests there, plus the humanitarian ramifications of dismantling the towns and other settlements which now house thousands of Israelis in the Golan.
Ariel Sharon, leader of Israel's opposition Likud Party, has apparently made retention of the Golan the cornerstone of his party's policy. This, at least, is according to the Jerusalem Report, always a good source of news and analysis. You can find its coverage at <http://www.jrep.com>. Sharon's views on the issue are conveyed by the Center for Global Security: <http://www.security-policy.org/papers/2000/00-F1.html>. In a similar vein, the Center carries a long piece comparing giving up the Golan to "assisted suicide" for Israel: <http://www.security-policy.org/papers/2000/00-D1.html>. "Don't Give Syria Life-support in Exchange for a Phoney Peace", argues Haifa University's Steve Plaut, at: <http://www.security-policy.org/papers/1999/99-F37.html>.
No one can understand today's issues without considering the past and for this history a good starting point is the Israel-Syria Armistice Agreement of July 20th, 1949, which is fully covered at: <http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00so0>.
Another article on this subject appears at: <http://us-israel.org/jsource/History/issyrarm.html>.
Particularly instructive is the Israel Defense Force's own site dedicated to the 1967 war. It includes pages on the Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian fronts, provides useful maps as well, and can be found at: <http://www.idf.il/english/history/sixday.stm>.
There
are good descriptions and a history of the Golan going back to the
One crucial aspect of the current negotiations concerns where exactly the new Israeli-Syrian border should be. Israel favors a return to the pre-1949 international border, while Syria wants to keep land it seized in 1948 and took control of in later years. An article by Frederic C. Hof on this issue appears in a September 1999 edition of Middle East Insight: <http://www.mideastinsight.org/9_99/lineofjune67_9.99_2.html>.
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis) relays an Al-Ahram article on the 1973 war by Egyptian policymaker Osama al-Baz. Find it at: <http://join.virtual.co.il/cgi-win/imra.exe/9810213>.
The Agreement determining the Israel-Syria Separation and Disengagement of Forces, May 31st 1974, is available at: <http://www.ibcnet.com/israel/foreign/peace/syr1974.htm>.
A good map of the demilitarized zone comes from the Knopf publication, A History of Israel, 1979, and appears on the site of the Palestinian research center PASSIA: <http://www.passia.org/palestine_facts/MAPS/Israel_Syria_demilitarized_zones.htm>.
Another site summarizes the work of Operation DANACA, the Canadian component of the UNDOF, responsible for keeping the peace between Israeli and Syrian forces: <http://www.dnd.ca/dcds/missions/undof_e.htm>.
But what of the life inside Syria?
One good place to start is the Syrian Ministry of Information site: <http://www.moi-syria.com/>. Here you can find a pean to President Hafiz al-Assad: <http://www.moi-syria.com/assad.htm>.
A briefer view of Syrian politics generally can be found at: <http://www.moi-syria.com/politic.htm>.
Other Syrian links are available at the updated page: <http://www.moi-syria.com/links.htm>. Their list includes the homepage for the Syrian Computer Society, which also discusses the life of its leader, Bashar Assad, son and heir apparent to President Hafiz: <http://www.scs-syria.com/>.
For even more details about the President, see his homepage: <http://www.assad.org/>
Chris Herrera provides a nice little list of Assad biographies. These mainly refer to "hard copy" (eg books) and unfortunately has not been revised since 1997. Find his list at: <http://www.la.utexas.edu/chenry/mena/bibs/aip/bibs97/0001.html>.
There is also a site for the Syrian Embassy in Washington, at: <http://www.syrianembassy.org/>. But most articles (with the exception of Foreign Minster Sharaa's speech at the UN in September 1999) seem to be duplicated from the MOI site.
The MOI also lists numerous news sites. Perhaps the most accessible is Syrian Times, which appears to be an English-language offshoot of the Arabic language Syrian official newspaper, Teshreen. Invariably, the tone is still aggressively anti-Israeli, but there are interesting signs of change too. For the Syrian Times, see: <http://www.teshreen.com/web/homes.htm>. For Teshreen itself, consult: <http://www.teshreen.com/>.
And for deeper analysis, rather than day-to-day news, see: <http://www.teshreen.com/web/opinion-s.htm>.
Other articles from the Syrian press are available via SANA, the Syrian Arab News Agency. You could access their press commentary site, and then work back to the home page: <http://www.sana.org/english1/main_press_commentary.htm>.
One particularly reliable site for all Arab news, and particular hot on the immediate area around Syria, "Bilad al-Shams," is Arabic News. Simply go the site: <http://www.arabicnews.com>.
Currently, the Yahoo news site has not devoted a page solely to the
Israel-Syrian
And the BBC is always good value for keeping track of current developments: <http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/default.stm>.
What is curiously missing is any detailed site for the Syrian Ba'ath Party; or, indeed, for Syrian opposition forces. In this respect, Syria seems to lack the huge extra-national cyberspace community which is typical of Iraqis, Lebanese and Iranian dissidents.
However, the Party does have a daily newspaper online. It is mainly in Arabic, but has excerpts in English (to find these, you need to press your buttons all over the screen). In particular, there is a recent commentary on the peace process at: <http://www.albaath.com/a2.html>.
As ever, the MENIC project at the University of Texas has a good list of links for Syria: <http://menic.utexas.edu/menic/countries/syria.html>.
But what of the future of the Assad regime? A special report from Stratfor last October says that the closure of a seaport owned by the brother of Syrian President Hafez Assad is proof of a continuing power struggle in Damascus - a struggle which the author argues could scuttle the peace process with Israel. For more on this, see: <http://www.stratfor.com/meaf/specialreports/special16.htm>.
Adel Darwish's Mideast News site generally has a lot on Syria. One particularly thought-provoking article concerns France's influence with President Assad, and his perception of France as a potential counterweight to the United States. Find it at: <http://www.mideastnews.com/ASSAD.htm>.
France's Nouvel Observateur provides some analysis (in French) at: <http://www.nouvelobs.com/evenement/monde2.html>.
Of course, the whole south Lebanon issue is intricately bound up with the Israeli-Syrian negotiations. Two sites of U.S./Lebanese provenance strike a balance of sorts, by dumping on both "occupying powers"--Israel and Syria--in equal measure. First is "Americans for a Free Lebanon", at: <http://www.aflnet.com/>. Similar in ideology is "Free Lebanon": <http://www.freelebanon.org/>. It carries many articles of interest, including Yuval Levin's piece on "Assad's strategic goals": <http://www.freelebanon.org/articles/v45.htm>.
Another valuable piece of analysis which you can find at that site comes from Ziad K Abdelnour. It is entitled "Inside Syria's Power Structure", and should prove invaluable for anyone who needs more detailed background to the often mysterious workings of Damascene politics.
Finally, there is "Lebanese Patriots", who direct a lot of ire at Syria and Israel, and calls on the United States and France to help them boot out those interlopers. <http://start.at/lebanese-patriots>.
Other Lebanese-based Syrian commentators can be found at Libanis, which modestly describes itself as "the best Lebanese search engine": <http://www.libanis.com/>.
And don't forget the big report from the Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, November 1999, which inter alia gives details on the nexus between Syria, Israel and Lebanon: <http://www.meib.org/issues/9911.htm>.
From the Jewish and Israeli perspective, two sites in particular highlight specific issues. First, there is the U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League, which chronicles antisemitic articles and caricatures in the Syrian media at its site: <http://www.adl.org/frames/front_syria.html>.
Second comes a site carried by Virtual Jerusalem, which is specially dedicated to Eli Cohen, the Israeli spy captured and hanged in Damascus, though only after he provided vital details of Syrian defenses on the Golan Heights, making easier its capture by Israel in 1967: <http://www.elicohen.com/> It appears in both Hebrew and English. The promised peace deal.
In analyzing the conflict and negotations, one should not ignore the crucial role of the United States, now hosting and mediating the talks. There is a good US factsheet on the peace process (including the Syrian angle) but unfortunately it seems to end abruptly in March 1996: <http://www.state.gov/www/current/middle_east/ispeace.html>.
In addition to the State Department's website dedicated to the current
negotiations <http://www.state.gov/www/regions/nea/shepherdstown_talks.html
There is also the very up-to-date site of the US Information Service, which relays recent official transcripts, including those dealing with this issue: <http://www.usis-israel.org.il/publish/peace/ongoing.htm>.
Bill Clinton's statements on the Barak-Shar'a meeting are at: <http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/New/html/19991216.html>
Remarks by Barak, Sharaa and Clinton can be read at: <http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/New/html/19991215_1.html>
The Israeli Foreign Ministry site also includes remarks by former chief negotiator with the Syrians, Itamar Rabinovitch. The Israeli Embassy's Archive provides more of his speeches at: <http://israelemb.org/archives/speeches/Rabinovich/Rabinovich.htm>. In a more recent article (written last December for the Washington Post) Rabinovich praises current moves as "The Best Chance Yet": <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-12/14/012l-121499-idx.html>.
But according to Stephen Zunes, "U.S. Policy Hampers Chances for Israeli-Syrian Peace". Read his views from the FPIF Policy Report of December 15, 1999, at: <http://www.foreignpolicy-infocus.org/papers/syria/index.html>.
And the top brass are out in force for a lacerating attack on the very notion of U.S. forces keeping the peace in the Golan. Problem is, this dates back to October 1994: <http://www.security-policy.org/papers/studies/golan94.html>.
Others are also affected by the talks, including the Palestinians. You can find interesting views on the Syrian role from a Palestinian perspective, from Dr Sami Musallam of PASSIA, at: <http://www.passia.org/seminars/97/Diplomacy/4.htm>.
From "Jouvert" magazine (Journal of Postcolonial Studies from North Carolina State University) is an interesting essay on "Inter-Arab Politics and the Mainstream of the Palestinian Movement: Changes in Relations and Strategy and their Implications for the Peace Process". It deals extensively with Syria and the Palestinians. Written by Husam A. Mohamad of the Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus:
<http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/jouvert/v3i3/moham.htm>.
Offstage you may well encounter the Russians, too. So cast an eye at a World Tribune Special, entitled "Syria and Russia haggle over $2 billion arms deal": <http://www.worldtribune.com/x100.html>
The Middle East Review of International Affairs has a number of articles from its Journal relevant to this issue. All can be found at <http://www.biu.ac.il/SOC/besa/meria/index.html>:
Eyal Zisser, "Decisionmaking in Asad's Syria," MERIA Journal (MJ) Vol. 2 No. 2 (May 1998);
Eyal Zisser, "Hizballah in Lebanon: At the Crossroads" MJ Vol. 1 No. 3 (September 1997);
Habib C. Malik, "Is There Still a Lebanon?" MJ Vol. 2 No. 1 (March 1998);
Laura Zittrain Eisenberg: "Israel's Lebanon Policy" MJ Vol. 1 No. 3 (September 1997);
And under Research Guides, Travis L. Benson's Guide to Lebanon.
The Dayan Center website has a lecture by Syria-watcher, Professor Moshe Ma`oz, entitled "Syria and Israel: Is the Conflict at an End?" It was delivered on 8th November 1999: <http://www.tau.ac.il:81/dayancenter/framebul.htm>.
The Arab Social Sciences Research body covers the peace process at: <http://www.assr.org/vlibrary/peace/index.html> while there are good details on Syria from Arab World Online, at: <http://www.awo.net/country/ctrypgs/chsyr.asp>
An assessment of Syria's
On December 10 1999, the Washington Institute brought out a Policy Forum Report from PEACEWATCH Number 233, called Syria-Israel negotiations: Implications and Prospects" by Thomas Friedman and Robert Satloff: <http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/watch/Peacewatch/peacewatch1999/233.htm>.
Alon Ben-Meir of the New School for Social Research emphasizes Syrian insistence on the full return of the Golan Heights. However, this piece is quite old now (1987), but can be located at: <http://www.mepc.org/journal/9710_benmeir.html>.
Increasingly, the theme of water rights is becoming an important consideration in the talks. In July 1998 Mostafa Dolatyar of the University of Newcastle, UK, wrote an essay entitled "Water Diplomacy in the Middle East", which covers Syria's interests in this regard. It comes from the site called "The Middle East Environment" and is published by St Malo Press, and is found at: <http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~jpap/dolat.htm>.
An interesting new initiative comes from an Israeli, Yair Sella, and a Syrian, Samir Sannoufi. Optimistically dubbed "We the people will start the peace,"it is located at: <http://travelers.israel.net/peace/index2.htm>.
As for news sources, Roula Khalaf and her colleagues at the London Financial Times always seem to come up with pithy Syrian stories. In particular, search out her article on Assad's son stepping into the peace process, on 13 November 1999, via: <http://www.ft.com/>.
Policy.com is another good source. See December 16th piece by April Pedersen, "Peace Talks Between Israel & Syria Begin", at: <http://www.policy.com/news/dbrief/dbriefarc444.asp>.
And J. Kotarski seldom dissapoints in his review of the twists and turns of the peace process, at:
<http://www.southwestern.edu/~kotarskj/latest.html>.
Overwhelmed by facts and analysis? Then lighten the mood with some nicely irreverent comments about regimes up and down the Mashriq (including Assad's) at: <http://www.cafearabica.com/wwwboard/humor/bbs.html>.
Finally, to show that no Golan handover has yet taken place, the homepage of the area's tastiest product is still at: <http://www.golanwines.co.il/>.
Lawrence Joffe is a noted British journalist and MERIA's representative in the United Kingdom. His books include Keesing's Guide to the Middle East Peace Process.