Strategic Assessment

After a break of nearly five years, formal negotiations with Syria were resumed under U.S. auspices on Dec. 15 in Washington in an effort to complete a peace accord by the end of 2000. The debate in Israel regarding peace with Syria contains numerous assumptions regarding the negotiating process and the positions of each side. Although many of these assumptions have little basis in fact, they influence Israeli public opinion and the leadership. Thus, it is crucial to understand past negotiations to gauge the prospects for the success of the current renewal of peace talks as well as determining Israeli policy.