Peace in our Time? The Israeli-Syrian Peace Accord
By Daniel Neep
20 Jun 2008
On 21 May 2008, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made the surprise revelation that Israel had been engaged in secret peace talks with Syria, bringing the two sides together for the first time since their failure in 2000 to finalise an agreement under the watchful eye of President Clinton. This time, however, the US was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Turkey had taken on the role of mediator. What is remarkable about Olmert’s revelation is that the existence of channels through Turkey’s good offices was not exactly a secret. The announcement shows that, if nothing else, Israel is now persuaded that Syria is serious about peace; in effect, the public admission of contact tells doubters in the White House and elsewhere that Israel considers Syria a credible interlocutor.
20 Jun 2008
On 21 May 2008, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made the surprise revelation that Israel had been engaged in secret peace talks with Syria, bringing the two sides together for the first time since their failure in 2000 to finalise an agreement under the watchful eye of President Clinton. This time, however, the US was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Turkey had taken on the role of mediator. What is remarkable about Olmert’s revelation is that the existence of channels through Turkey’s good offices was not exactly a secret. The announcement shows that, if nothing else, Israel is now persuaded that Syria is serious about peace; in effect, the public admission of contact tells doubters in the White House and elsewhere that Israel considers Syria a credible interlocutor.
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