(Ha'aretz) Ari Shavit - In September 2010, after the peace process with the Palestinians collapsed, Obama and Netanyahu began working together on a breakthrough with the Syrians. In the final months of 2010 and the opening months of 2011, Netanyahu ran an impressive peace process: It was kept completely secret; it was designed as a joint Israeli-American initiative; and it was not based on an Israeli proposal or a Syrian offer, but on the gradual preparation of a joint peace treaty. There was no prior commitment by Israel to withdraw to the June 4, 1967, lines. Obama and Netanyahu defined a peace process that was leading the Syrians to a strategic divorce from Iran and Hizbullah - even before they received an explicit Israeli commitment to withdraw completely from the Golan Heights. The peace process of 2010-11 proves that the Israeli prime minister and American president worked together honestly and wisely to bring peace to the region. There will be no peace with Syria in the next decade because the Arab Spring has sentenced it to death.
2012-10-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive