COMPREHENSIVE PEACE

“The top priority of our political strategy is to find a just and comprehensive solution for the conflict- the Arab Israeli- based on international legitimacy resolution, with all of what that means of an end to wars, imposed upon our people and countries, the restoration of security and stability to these countries and to the region in general. But, all of this should be within the frame of the Israeli preparedness to make peace, and awareness of what the Israelis indeed want through their talk of peace, and the definition of peace concept which they accept or call for.”

  From His Excellency Speech At the opening of the 2^nd Transitional Arab Parliament Session, (November 9, 2008)

  “We are keen on the achievement of the just and comprehensive peace, based on our fixed and inalienable, under no circumstances, rights, on top of which is the undiminished withdrawal to the line of June 4, 1967.”

“The Israeli non-responding to peace requirements on the Syrian track, indicates that peace for Israel is but a tactical action rather than a strategic option.”

  From His Excellency Speech At the opening of the 2^nd Transitional Arab Parliament Session, (November 9, 2008)

 “Israel, not even for a single day, has cancelled the idea of aggression from its policies, caused by the Israelis’ latent fear of peace, especially at this time, when we witness the increasing flagrant trends of religious and racial extremism by the Israelis; concepts of expelling Arabs, and other racial expressions have, rather,  become more present in their political discourse,”

  From His Excellency Speech At the opening of the 2^nd Transitional Arab Parliament Session, (November 9, 2008)

“Our belief in peace and optimism as to achieve it do not push us as to have illusions or day-dreaming, nor to fall into the trap of peace tracks game; but rather motivate  us to the more of commitment to our rights and to build the more of our force.”

  From His Excellency Speech At the opening of the 2^nd Transitional Arab Parliament Session, (November 9, 2008)

  “We’re not betting on names of people who might accede to leadership posts in Israel, Netanyahu or any other. As far as we are concerned, there’s no great difference between one candidate and another. They may be in disagreement on questions of internal policy, and we haven’t heard anything from Netanyahu about the Golan so as to evaluate his position. We won’t go into the game of names of people in Israel; we’re looking at what they intend to do. That’s the criterion of the talks now going on in Turkey. As for the military aspect, and not to go into details, the scenarios are many and have no end, since the region is vast and all possibilities are envisaged. Syria is ready to confront them without going into military details.”

 From His Excellency Monday Morning Interview, (September 30, 2008)

“I have explained to President Basescu the whereabouts of the indirect peace negotiations between Syria and Israel with the mediation of Turkey, reiterating the Syrian well-known stance regarding the support of the peace process that would lead to the restoration of all of the occupied territories and to the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and top of which resolution 242. This issue was fundamental in our discussions; hence the stability of the Middle East is basic to the stability of other parts of the world. Consequently, peace is an issue of priority for us; I think it to be also the same for many European countries.”

 From His Excellency joint press conference with President Basescu of Romania (October 20, 2008)

“His Highness Sheikh Hamad and the State of Qatar are concerned and continuously supportive of the peace process. They might be playing this role far from the limelight and silently. President Sarkozy is very enthusiastic for an active role by France and Europe in the process of peace. France, for sure, is to have a basic role during the phase of direct negotiations. France has an important position in our region, and its role is necessary to help the United States, which, may be because of geography distance, knows less about this region. Turkey is among the few countries which were interested in the process of peace seriously during past years. Turkey is the only country succeeding in re-launching the indirect negotiations under the circumstance when peace was even away from the mere thinking of”

 From His Excellency Statements at the Quartet Damascus Summit  (September 4, 2008)

“It is not suffice to talk only of the Syrian track- of the Middle East Peace Process-; the Palestinian track is very vital to the peace process. We hope for the presence of an international support as to make progress on this track, as not to talk only of the signing of the peace process; but rather to talk about the peace realized on the ground as being among the people, and not only among officials, governments  or negotiators,”

 From His Excellency Statements at the Quartet Damascus Summit  (September 4, 2008)

“We search now for the possibility as to achieve result in the peace process. The essence of the cause is the restoration of the occupied territories, and the demarcation of the borders between Syria and Israel. We have made it clear for Israel that no peace between us is to exist, as long as our occupied land is not restored in full.”

 From His Excellency Interview with the Russian Kommersant Daily  (August 20, 2008)

“We have initiated peace negotiations since the 90’s ; have never surrendered our rights, nor would we surrender them now,”

“We are keen on the creating of a common base as to move to the direct negotiations with Israel. The US role is basic in the peace process; we never reject this role; especially when the US would have a genuine intention to this effect,”

From His Excellency Statements in France (July12-14, 2008)

“We are keen on the creating of a common base as to move to the direct negotiations with Israel. The US role is basic in the peace process; we never reject this role; especially when the US would have a genuine intention to this effect,”

 "Signing a peace accord with Israel is a question that requires from six months to two years maximum if both parties are serious in engaging direct talks,"

From His Excellency Statements in France (July12-14, 2008)

"This is not like drinking tea,"; "The meeting between me and the Israeli prime minister will be meaningless without the technocrats laying the foundation, without reaching the final stage."

From His Excellency Statements in India (June 19^th, 2008)

“Actually, we achieved 80% of what we have to achieve before signing the treaty but of course we do not have precise criteria; this is our estimation. But that is true; we achieved a lot during Rabin, but because of his assassination everything stopped. That's why we have been asking for starting from where we stopped during Rabin, where we talked about the security arrangements, which was the most difficult issue. Of course, we had Rabin deposit which means giving back the Golan Heights till the line of 4th June 1967, and we were about to talk about other issues like normal relations such as having embassies and things like this, and we did not talk about water; this is what has been left. That is true.”

From His Excellency Indian Daily, the Hindu Interview (June 12^th, 2008)

“The Israelis used to think that with time they are going to be stronger and any opposition to their policies will be weaker, but actually what happened was the opposite. Now, the Israelis learned that without peace they cannot live safely and Israel cannot be safe. I think this is true especially after the war on Lebanon and because of the result of that war inside the Israeli society; this is the main incentive for the Israelis to move toward peace. This is our analysis.”

From His Excellency Indian Daily, the Hindu Interview (June 12^th, 2008)

"We can not accept preconditions on us, bearing on countries that have nothing to do with the peace march. Shall we lose our relations with the world just for the sake of forging relations with Israel?"

From His Excellency Statements during His Kuwait Visit (June 4^th, 2008)

"Syria is now in the stage of indirect negotiations in Turkey through a Turkish mediator. In case of a common ground for negotiations, there will be public talks just as was the case in 1990," “But, the Israeli side insists on scrapping all previous agreements, something which indicates that Israel is not earnest about peace,”

From His Excellency Statements during His Kuwait Visit (June 4^th, 2008)

"There are no direct talks at this stage,", "We believe indirect negotiations are sufficient at this stage as we are still negotiating to find a common ground. [But] we are willing to move to direct negotiations once this is reached,"

From His Excellency Statements during His UAE Visit (June 3^rd, 2008)

“ Erdogan- the Turkish Premier, has informed me of the Israeli willingness to withdraw from the Golan in return for peace with Syria.”   “ Mediations between Damascus and Tel Aviv have been intensified basically following the aggression against in Lebanon during the summer of 2006, and after the victory of the Resistance. The Turkish involvement to this effect came since April 2007 yielding new positive details; where Olmert – the Israeli Premier- affirmed to the Turkish Premier his willingness to return the Golan. We have received this news a week ago; following that we have heard Olmert saying “ We know what Syria wants, and Syria knows what we want.”.

 From His Excellency Interview given to the Qatari ‘Al-Wtan’ Daily  (April 27^th 2008)

“ What we need now is to find the common ground through the Turkish mediator,”“ There would never be secret negotiations with Israel; there  would be , if to take place, announced indirect negotiations through the Turkish side. We are to deal first with the issue of the restoration of the land as to see Israel credibility. We have to be precise and cautious in dealing with this issue; perhaps with a new US Administration, we can  talk after that of direct negotiations.”

 From His Excellency Interview given to the Qatari ‘Al-Wtan’ Daily  (April 27^th 2008)

“During the visit of the Turkish Premier to Damascus, though coming within the frame of the meetings of the Syrian-Turkish Businessmen Council, we, definitely, would talk about this point. ““Israel presents the idea of direct negotiations; this, however, has different basics. And now we do not talk of this; rather we talk about a Turkish role. It is a Turkish mediation conveying the basic information and details as to find a common ground. This is to be the basic as to launch direct negotiations in a later stage.”

 From His Excellency Interview given to the Qatari ‘Al-Wtan’ Daily  (April 27^th 2008)

“We have never spared an opportunity but as to express at the Arab level our desire for peace; the last of which was through our participation in Annapolis . However, Israel avails every opportunity to prove the opposite, to prove its intransigency, rejection for the implementation of the International resolutions, and to prove its disregard for our rights and peace initiatives. The question to raise is whether to leave the peace of process and initiatives hostage for the consequent Israeli governments, or to search for choices and alternatives that would realize the just and comprehensive peace capable of the restoration of all the rights undiminished. That is whether to present unconditional initiatives, where they- the Israelis- select from them whatever they like and whenever they like, whether our initiatives are influenced by the aggressive Israeli policies, and massacres, or whether they were concrete initiatives unconditioned to timing or circumstances. This is a call for the revision of the contents of our strategic choices searching for balanced stances conducive to  the requirements of the just and comprehensive peace, with all what that includes of the restoration of the occupied land securing the legitimate rights , on the one hand, and proving the minimum limit of steadfastness and resistance factors,  as long as Israel rejects peace and persist in aggression, on the other. We today meet when the blood of the Martyrs by the Israeli massacres or holocaust, as they themselves have so called, in Gaza are still running before world silence, the wrath of the Arab citizen, and before the deplore form every living conscience.”

 From His Excellency Opening  Speech of  20th Arab Summit  (March29th 2008)

"It is perhaps too late to talk about peace in the last year of this US administration. It will be preoccupied with elections,' 

From H. E. ’s Austrian Die Presse Interview  ( December 19, 2007)

“Whenever you talk about non-peace and non-war situations, this means that it will end by either peace or war; you do not have a third option. We have been working on peace since the peace conference in Madrid, 1991. Of course, the situation and the atmosphere are not good as it was used to be.”

“We are working to achieve peace in the region. We in Syria work for peace. It was surprising for us and for the entire world, why they did they do it? Nobody knows why. What is the target? But the target is not an important target; and I think if they knew what it was they would not have done it.”

“You cannot talk about peace and carry out attacks against a neighboring country. This is the only message that we got.”

From H. E. ’s BBC Interview  ( October 1, 2007)

“Talking about the negotiations needs more than one party; it needs a third party, which should be an impartial arbiter, but it does not exist. The United States, especially this administration, is not interested in peace. It is impossible to move towards peace and to achieve something without the United States; that is what stopped it. This is first. Second, you have a weak government in Israel, and weak governments can launch war; they cannot make peace. While in Syria we still have the public support to go towards peace, and we do not have any problem. So, we have to see what can be done with the other party to talk about direct negotiations.”

“I think we do not have a lot of opportunities to squander, because the more opportunities you lose, the more peace is going to be difficult. I mean this conference or any conference is going to be an opportunity, but it should be purposeful and substantive. I do not see where the purpose and what the substance of this conference is, what are they going to talk about, what are the criteria, what are the methods and means? Everything is not clear. If you want to prepare for a conference like this, you have to see what happened before in the Madrid Conference in 1991 when there was shuttling by the American officials between the different countries for nearly ten months. They did not go to any party this time. So what kind of conference is this one? It needs more clarification for Syria to take a decision.”

From H. E. ’s BBC Interview  ( October 1, 2007)

“All these issues are related to the peace process. If you have peace, you would not have any problem. It is all related to peace, and if you have comprehensive peace, you will not have problems with Hezbollah, Hamas, Jihad, Syria, Iran or any other party in the region.”

From H. E. ’s BBC Interview  ( October 1, 2007)

“ The real peace which endures has a cost less by hundreds of that of the occupation” “Syria does not favour ‘secret negotiations’ and the need is for ‘ an Israeli clear, serious official declaration’ regarding the desire for peace, suggesting a written-pledge regarding withdrawal from the Syrian Golan Heights to the line of June 4, 1967, citing the Israeli Premier, Mr. Rabin written pledge as to withdraw from the Syrian Golan Heights to the line of June 4, 1967.  Syria, “ has direct interest in peace process” denying some Israeli claims regarding the Syrian want for peace “ as to alleviate pressures”.  

From HE’s Second  Presidential Term Inauguration Speech , ( July 17, 2007)

"In fact, there is no progress in the peace process and there is not any contacts with Israel whether secretly or publicly, because Israel is not ready for the just and comprehensive peace which needs strong leaderships that can take decisive decisions, particularly in the presence of a weak government incapable to take such strategic decision,"

From HE’s Speech before the Syrian Parliament in ‏2007‏‏‏, ( May 15, 2007)

"We started the peace negotiations in 1991 with Israel. We said when Israel withdraws from our lands we recognize Israel. So when you say recognize you say it when you achieve peace. Anyway, when you have peace talks with Israel, this means you recognize the reality of Israel. But when you say verbally that we recognize it politically, that will come as a result of the peace. So, the position of Hamas is like this. They used to say we don't accept Israel but now they don't say it. Recently, Hamas has become very pragmatic, very realistic."

From HE’s Interview with PBS US TV Network, (March 30, 2006)

"That will take me back to what I said in the previous answer: the solution is through United Nations or Security Council Resolutions. Security Council resolutions define the borders by June 1967. So the fence is much far behind. I mean behind Palestinian territories. So this won't lead to any solution. The facts proved that this fence wouldn't do much to Israel, so I will advice any rational Israeli to go back to these resolutions. This is the main solution. You may sometimes win some political, security and military battles but eventually you need the stability and it happens when you have normal relations. The fence won't give you normal relations. It is a matter of people not governments."

From HE’s Interview with PBS US TV Network, (March 30, 2006)

"And we're still ready. So we haven't changed as Syria. What changed, two things. The administration in the United States has changed and the government in Israel."

From HE’s Interview with CNN, (October 12, 2005)

"The peace process is in need of parties willing to make peace. It needs a sponsor as well. The Arab side be it a Palestinian, Syrian or Lebanese, since the Madrid conference in 1991 when the peace process was launched, has expressed in practice, words and political discourse, its willingness to achieve peace, while the Israeli side has not been so. For instance, when the Madrid conference was announced, then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir said: "we will make negotiations go on for ten years." In other words, he as a Prime Minister expressed his unwillingness to make peace. Now after 13 years, peace has not been realized. ‏"

From HE’s Interview with the Chinese People daily, (June 21, 2004)

" The second point is that following the assassination of Rabin in 1995, Israel didn’t have any Prime Minister who actually wanted peace, each one of them wants to prove himself and win the elections through killing more Palestinians or shelling neighboring countries. This is the policy which is adopted in Israel. ‏" " On the other hand, the peace process sponsor has an important role, but Americans are not interested so much in the peace process. The priority for them is the Iraq issue. On the peace tracks, the priority for them is only the Palestinian track. But we say that if the peace process is not comprehensive, peace will not be realized. We cannot say a Syrian, Lebanese or Palestinian track only, since they are interrelated tracks. ‏"

From HE’s Interview with the Chinese People daily, (June 21, 2004)

"We call it a just and comprehensive peace. If it is not achieved, there will be no peace. They always look for peace agreements, which are no more than paper documents, but peace is a world in itself and people, it should be between peoples but not between officials, foreign ministers, presidents or heads of governments. In order for peace to be between peoples, the agreed upon issues on paper must be in agreement with the interests of peoples, and just."‏ The problem of the peace process is that it has broken away from the Security Council resolutions. ‏ Of course, the Madrid Conference embodied the Security Council resolutions, Had work been done on the implementation of the Security Council resolutions and the Madrid conference, there would have been no problem. ‏"

From HE’s Interview with the Chinese People daily, (June 21, 2004)

"The said second factor for peace would never be there without the first one, that is of the land, which is never subject for negotiations,'' added the President. Considering the past ten years of the Israeli maneuvers in peace talks, President Assad called for '' clear guarantees' regarding the full return of the land to the line of 1967'' through "an official Israeli written document" or at least "through an Israeli announcement before the whole world that it would in full withdraw from the land." Considering the failure of Mideast peace sponsors during the last ten years, President Assad noted that a sponsor has to be like a '' judge'', entrusted with a certain law recognized by the world, calling for a clear approach as to sponsor the process of peace and for a Euro-US dialogue and even with the UN citing that '' Israel was rewarded, though it stands against peace, while Arabs were punished and pressured and accused, though they stand with the peace process,"

From HE’s Speech before Beirut Arab Summit, (March 27, 2002)

"The peace process is in need for a peace plan and not for words, for content not for form," the President added calling for action as to salvage the Palestinians from '' massacres'' and from '' the new holocaust'' calling on Arab countries, which have relations with Israel, to break them off before it is too late. "The only reference for the peace process is that of Madrid and the resolutions it is based upon." the President stressed asserting that there is no need whatsoever for another conference; hence the basics are the same and would never be changed."

From HE’s Speech before Beirut Arab Summit, (March 27, 2002)

"We, in Syria, like things to be clear. We do not like to address any issue in a vague foggy environment. We have important things that we would like to do to our country and we have no time to waste on issues which do not lead us anywhere. The mistake that was committed by some European countries and by the United States is that they believed that negotiations by themselves could bring peace."

From HE’s Interview with the Italian Corriere Della Sera, (February 14, 2002)