Imad Moustapha
Photo: AP
Syrian ambassador reaches out to Israel
In interview with ‘American Friends for Peace Now,’ Imad Moustapha sounds optimistic on peace talks with Israel, saying Syria has been consistent in pursuit of agreement for 15 years while Israel waivers
Amidst indirect negotiations between Israeli
and Syrian
representatives in Turkey, Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, issued a strong message of peace this week.
In his interview with 'American Friends for Peace Now,' Moustapha said, “This is a historic opportunity of making peace not only with Syria and Lebanon because we believe whenever Syria plays the role of gatekeeper between Israel and the rest of the Arab world, if Israel really wants to make peace with the Arab world they need to understand this Syrian demand based on the premise of land for peace.”
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“Negotiations can have some difficulties but these difficulties are of minor nature. They can be overcome if there is a political and vision for peace on both side, we know in Syria that we have the will and the vision,” he said.
Placing the onus on Israel he said that Syria’s official stance on peace with the Jewish state has not changed in the last 15 years.
“We want to make peace, we believe in a fair comprehensive peace. It is the Israelis who waiver on this. Sometimes they say yes we want to talk to you and sometimes they say no we don’t want to talk to you.
“Now Olmert has changed his position, we are very happy about this change in his position.
“But if the Israelis have doubts about the Syrian desire and will to make peace with us, then what about us who have been very consistent in our message, never changed our message for the past 15 years telling the Israelis that the only way forward, the only way forward, there is no third alternative, is to sit and make an agreement with us.”
The interviewer asked the Syrian ambassador about gestures that could be made by both sides and he responded saying, “As an example we can ask the Israelis to give back the occupied Golan, but this is not realistic. We are two serious nations.
“This is not about exchanging niceties here and there. This is a situation where the state of Syria is telling the state of Israel that we desire to end this state of war between us, to conclude peace between two states and to recognize each other and to live as peaceful neighbors with each other,” he said.
Moustapha, who is considered close to Syrian President Bashar Assad, referred to the role the United States should play in the negotiations between Israel and Syria.
He said, “We believe in Syria that peace is a great achievement and the grand endeavor and grand peace needs a world power like the United States of America to play an active role, not necessarily in negotiating the details but in providing guarantees and helping create the momentum that will actually lead to signing the peace agreement and implementing it.
Regarding whether or not the ambassador believes that negotiations with Israel will bring Syria closer with the western world, he said, “Our newly re-improved relation with France is a good example for this.
“Syria has always wanted to open up to the West and to be in partnership with the European Union and to have the best possible relations with America.
