 | The Brink of Peace: The Israeli-Syrian Negotiations Subjects: Israel -- Foreign relations -- Syria; Syria -- Foreign relations -- Israel; Arab-Israeli conflict -- 1993 -- Peace; Rabinovich Itamar 1942–; Far less well-known to the American public than the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that led to the accord with the PLO, Israel's four-year diplomatic dialogue with Syriaconducted mainly in Madrid, Damascus and Washington, D.C., between 1992 and 1996was tortuous, complex and ended at an impasse. Rabinovich, the Israeli diplomat and historian who headed Israel's delegation to Syria, has written an evenhanded, densely detailed chronicle that avoids being as plodding as the talks themselves by virtue of its revelations of secret back-channel face-offs and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the Clinton administration's frantic maneuvers. Rabinovich alludes more than once to Israel's and Syria's "mutual demonization," and he concedes that Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was in no hurry to reach an agreement with Syria. Yet he clearly places the brunt of the blame on Syrian president Hafiz al-Asad, who saw peace with Israel as an unavoidable prelude to his primary objectivea better relationship with Washington. Syria's domination of Lebanon (where Damascus offered indirect support to Hizballah terrorists) and Asad's insistence on Israel's full withdrawal from the Golan Heights further strained the negotiations. After Rabin's assassination in 1995, Shimon Peres's willingness to make concessions, according to the author, frightened off Asad, who has not resumed talks. This saga of missed opportunities holds valuable lessons for those seeking peace in the Middle East. Editor, Walter Lippincott. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved Itamar Rabinovich is Professor of History at Tel Aviv University, where he holds the Yona and Dina Ettinger Chair in the Contemporary History of the Middle East, and A. D. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. Among his books are The War for Lebanon: 1970-1985, Israel in the Middle East, and The Road Not Taken: Early Arab-Israeli Negotiations. |
