Israeli defense establishment urges the government to reach peace with Syria, even at the cost of the strategic Golan Heights, local daily Ha'aretz reported Sunday.
"An agreement with Syria must be advanced, despite the heavy price Israel would have to pay," defense officials were quoted as saying in a paper to be presented to the cabinet next month as part of the National Security Council's annual situation assessment.
The defense establishment believes that removing the northern neighbor from the conflict would lead to an agreement with Lebanonas well, thus significantly weakening the radical Iran-Syria-Hezbollah-Hamas axis, according to the report.
The paper said Israel must engage the new U.S. administration, led by President-elect Barack Obama, in the peace process with Syria. Ha'aretz reported that outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush has so far turned a cold shoulder to the Israel-Syrian peace front.
Israel and Syria restored their peace talks earlier this year under the auspices of the Turkish government.
Following four rounds of indirect negotiations, a fifth round, originally planned in early September, has been on hold due to Israel's political turmoil. Yet Israeli officials have voiced willingness to move the process forward into direct dialogues.
Meanwhile, Israel should support moderate factions in Lebanon in its parliamentary elections scheduled for May next year, but not at the expense of Israel's interests, the paper was quoted as saying.
It stressed that Israel must strengthen its deterrence against Hezbollah and take "low-profile" actions against Hezbollah's arms smuggling.
Turning to the whole Arab world, the paper proposes various steps to strengthen Israel's ties with moderate Sunni Arab countries, especially with Saudi Arabia.
"Israel must examine ways to expand its dialogue with Saudi Arabia on various shared interests," said the paper, adding that it must also act to neutralize potential risks in Saudi Arabia, including its development of nuclear capability among others.
Golan Heights was seized by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War and annexed in 1981, a move not recognized by the international community.
Source: Xinhua
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