Israel accused Syria of giving Hezbullah new missiles which are considered a new threat on Israel’s security. Syria denied the accusations and considered it [singlepic id=170 w=320 h=240 float=right] an Israeli attempt to move the eyes from its Nuclear weapons and to affect the American Syrian relations.
Robert Gibbs stated that the white house is worried about the developed weapons which Israel claims that Syria has given to Hezbullah. The American foreign ministry also stated that if the information about the missiles were right then it would affect the Lebanese security.

The Israeli army considered these missiles a strategic threat on Israel’s security since it can reach several important targets inside Israel. President Shimon Perez stated that Syria is playing a game since from one side it claims that it wants peace and from another side it is supporting organizations such as Hezbullah who are considered enemies of the Israeli state. The Syrian embassy in Washington denounced the Israeli claims and stated that if weapons and armament should be discussed then Israel is the first state which should be questioned about its nuclear arsenal.

The Israeli claims are not really convincing since it did not show any kind of real intentions to go into a peace process neither with Syria nor with the Palestinians. Since Prime Minister Netanyahu took the lead of the Israeli government he started a wide campaign to increase the Israeli presence in both the Palestinian and Syrian occupied territories. Even before the Israeli latest elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu have paid several visits to the Golan Heights insisting that these lands are a part of the Israeli state and will never be left.

The latest American pressure on Israel to go into a peace process with the Palestinians was made because of several reasons which one of them is a possible threat such as the latest Syrian move in the region. Israel’s refusal to make any kind of improvement or compromise for the sake of peace is embarrassing the United States and putting it in challenges regarding its confrontation with Iran.

Although the White House have denounced the Syrian action if it really happened, the American government knows very well that Syria is in a good place because of its relations with Iran, Hezbullah and Hamas. If Syria really supplied Hezbullah with Scud missiles as Israel claims, then it made this to send a clear message that its presence and satisfaction is important in any attempt to create balance in the Middle East.

Whether Syria supplied Hezbullah with missiles or it did not, both Israel and the United States do not have many choices to react. The American administration wants to isolate Iran and therefore it will not react in a way that will result in creating a closer rapprochement between Iran and Syria. Israel has enough trouble to face in the International community especially after the latest statement which President Obama made about the importance of signing the Nuclear weapons nonproliferation treaty by all the countries. Not only this, but the Palestinian case is making it more difficult for the Israeli government to gain support for its invitation to face the Iranian threat with force and prevent it from developing Iranian weapons.

If the American administration wants to succeed in facing the Iranian threat and putting an end to the increasing anger against its policy in the Middle East, it must work harder to oblige Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories that the International law insists on returning to its owners.

Without real efforts and pressure the Israeli Palestinian conflict will continue to be more complicated until a peace opportunity would become impossible. Israel’s refusal to make any real improvement is affecting the American and Middle East national security. Syria stated several times that it is really interested in starting a peace process but refused the Israeli conditions which continue to change from time to time only to make it completely impossible to start any kind of negotiations.

The Israeli current government is one of the worst in the history of Israel regarding the Israeli interests but for others it could be one of the best when we are talking about the reality of what Israel wants and how it acts once compromise for the sake of peace is discussed.

Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad

A Palestinian-Arab living in East Jerusalem, Ziad graduated from College Des Freres in Jerusalem in 2003. Ziad finished his major in International Relations and English Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ziad is a former President of the Watan student movement at the university. He is interested in Middle Eastern political issues and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Founder of the Middle East Post and MEL (Middle East Future Leadership Network), he represents Palestinian youth at several international conferences.

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