Soccer Dad

The Heights of Mendacity

The New York Times (and other news organizations) are concerned that "Israel Plans 25% Expansion of Its Settlements on Golan" and this poses a potential complication for peace. The first two paragraphs inform us:

Israel plans a major expansion of Jewish settlements in the Golan Heights, the government confirmed Wednesday. The announcement angered Syria, from which Israel seized the territory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

The plan, approved two weeks ago, comes just two months after the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, called for renewed peace talks between his country and Israel.

The article goes on to report on French objections to Israel's plan to expand its presence in the Golan and other anti-peace activities that Israel has been engaging in lately, such as building the fence and shooting unarmed protesters.

Of course whether these actions hurt chances for peace or improve them is debatable, unless you are so attached the Peace Now view of the Middle East. If however you are serious about who really is an obstacle to peace there's a lot of information to the contrary.

For one thing the Times credits Assad's peace overtures to an interview he gave to the Times in early December. Well what did he really say there? Arabic news tells us:

On the relations with Lebanese Hizbullah party, the president underlined that Syria supports the Lebanese national resistance that fights within the Lebanese territories against occupation, and that the Shebaa Farms is small part of Lebanon and not Syrian as Israel claims.

This is evil mischief. It isn't just Israel that claims that Shebaa Farms is part of Syria, it's the UN too. The UN certified the withdrawal. The only reason that Assad denies this is to maintain a reason for conflict. He (and his father) don't (didn't) want an end to conflict with Israel. Unfortunately press and political enablers let him get away with such mendacity.

Dr. Aaron Lerner adds to this perspective in "The Lesson of Alexandretta":

Syrian President Assad's visit next week to Turkey provides a unique opportunity remind the world that, when it sees fit, Syria can swallow its pride on such matters.

Take a look at many Syrian maps of their country and you will find that they show the port city of Alexandretta inside Syrian territory. But it has been a part of Turkey since 1939.

Alexandretta holds a special place in the heart of President Assad and all his fellow Allawites. Before Turkey took over control of the area, Alexandretta was part of the Allawites autonomy inside Syria. And if this wasn't enough, when Alexandretta was transformed into Turkish Iskenderun, the Turks pressured non-Turks in the area who would not accept Turkish citizenship to leave.

Syrian policy to this day is that they will never concede Alexandretta.

And yet, despite what Syria sees as the ongoing Turkish occupation of sovereign Syrian territory, Syria and Turkey have full diplomatic relations. And as part of Syrian efforts to warm these relations, President Assad will soon be stepping off a plane on the first visit of a Syrian president to a country they consider an occupier of Syrian land.

Assad isn't doing this because he accepts the Turkish occupation of a port city in an area near and dear to his Allawite heart. He is doing this despite it.

As long as the world says that Assad is justified in his enmity toward Israel he will exploit that. All the so called liberal thinkers who are so good at scolding Israel what to do become timid when it comes to instructing bloody dictators norms of peaceful behavior. Worse, they excuse the bad behavior of said dictators.

Along these lines there's a lesson that peace may actually come from confronting tyrants rather than appeasing them.

Turks grew increasingly agitated as Syrians made promises they did not carry out. Finally, in mid-September 1998, Ankara got serious and made a series of specific demands of Damascus (drop claims to Turkish territory, close down PKK camps, and extradite the PKK leader) as top officials delivered a volley of portentous messages. "We are losing our patience and we retain the right to retaliate against Syria," the president announced. The prime minister accused Syria of being "the headquarters of terrorism in the Middle East" and warned Damascus that the Turkish army was "awaiting orders" to attack. The chief of staff described relations with Damascus as an "undeclared war." Every political party in parliament signed a statement calling on Syria to cut its support for the PKK or "bear the consequences." The media went into high gear, reporting every development in inflamed tones.

Military exercises near the Syrian border began.

Then, suddenly, Assad caved, unconditionally expelling the PKK leader and ending Syrian aid to the PKK. More: this time he kept his word. Turkish officials say they are satisfied with Syria's actions and tensions have been diffused. There is now talk of increasing trade and visitors already are crossing the border in greater numbers.

I will rail once again against the peace-niks who argue against all available evidence that appeasement brings peace; it doesn't. When reporters like Craig Smith cast Israel as the villain they are only making peace less accessible.
Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.

Posted by SoccerDad at January 2, 2004 12:55 PM | TrackBack