After the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference, a saying became common in the realm of international politics: “The Middle East is a land of missed opportunities.” This phrase indicated the failure of the conference. At that time, Syria was in a position to compel Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights. Unfortunately, it was mired in adopting nonsensical slogans.
The late President Hafez Al-Assad was quoted as saying: “I used to swim in the Sea of Galilee and I will swim in it again.” Tel Aviv annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, 10 years before that conference, while Damascus continued its political line of raising slogans, because those who exploited the Palestinian cause were more powerful than the Arab realists.
Since 1974, a lot of political water had been flowing under the bridge in Syria, yet Damascus did not benefit from it, because it adopted the policy of rejecting the peace process. Years before that, Syria formed the Steadfastness and Confrontation Front in response to Egypt’s signing of the Camp David Accords with Israel. Syria continued to chant slogans and gained nothing.
In contrast, the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was more astute. He recognized that the existence of Israel was a reality, and that peace would weaken Israel and force it to withdraw from the occupied Arab territories. Sadat believed that signing peace treaties was the foundation for containing Israel within its political borders, especially since Israel had not defined its borders since 1948.
The approach that Sadat adopted brought peace and stability to Egypt, which did not abandon the Palestinian cause, but rather prevented Palestinian factions from exploiting it. Syria continued on its path, suffering heavy losses and enduring a comprehensive economic blockade from 1979 until the fall of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. This historical overview of the Syrian reality must be on top of the mind of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, lest he fall into the trap set by factions exploiting the Palestinian cause.
Today, Syria needs Arab and international support. Therefore, the optimal solution is to continue negotiations with Israel to restore the occupied territories. Those who followed the events of 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973 perfectly understand that the international community will never allow Israel to be defeated. This is why the Camp David Accords signed by Cairo and Tel Aviv, as well as the Jordanian- Israeli Wadi Araba Agreement, are considered the cornerstones in imposing peace on Israel, particularly its recognition of the political borders of both countries.
Today, Syria has an opportunity to restore its land, preserve its national stability and prevent any party from interfering in its affairs. To achieve this goal, Syria must cut the arms of those who exploit the Palestinian cause, and then strive to recover its occupied land through negotiations. Syria must realize that political and military equations are constantly changing, especially if the balance of power is skewed. Developments over the past few years have forced everyone to change the rules of the game. The new Syria, fortified by strong public support and that of the Arab and international powers, must seize this opportunity to resume its regional role.
Syria must reform its devastated economy, prevent tampering with its territorial integrity, and silence the sectarian and religious voices keen on imposing a new geographical reality. Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa must go to great lengths for the sake of his country, which has been exhausted by decades of corruption under the slogan, “Strategic balance in preparation for the great battle,” a policy that only brought more suffering for the Syrian people. The current political situation is different from what it was in 1991. The Middle East is no longer the land of missed opportunities.
