Jouejati: 'An Israeli Commitment to a Full Withdrawal From the Golan Heights' Necessary for Peace
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A few moments ago you heard from Israel's ambassador to the U.N. with his views on the Israeli-Syrian peace talks in West Virginia. Now we turn our focus to Syria's perspective. Joining us from Washington is Murhaf Jouejati, a Syrian international affairs analyst. Good morning. Thanks for joining us.</s>MURHAF JOUEJATI, SYRIAN INTL. AFFAIRS ANALYST: Good morning. Thank you.</s>PHILLIPS: Let's talk about the talks. What do you think, is this real or is this is just posturing going on right now?</s>JOUEJATI: I think it is very real, and I think both sides are showing a seriousness and a determination to make these talks succeed.</s>PHILLIPS: Now, I was reading an article where it mentioned that Syrians are saying the Israelis are playing games. Do you agree with that?</s>JOUEJATI: Well, what the Syrians, in fact, want is something tangible, and that is to have an Israeli commitment to a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights, that is, a withdrawal or at least a commitment to a withdrawal to the line of the June -- of June 4th. Unless and until they hear that, they will be very, very cautious, and they will be very skeptical of anything positive that is said. What they need, again, is something tangible, a commitment.</s>PHILLIPS: OK, so what type of commitment? What exactly would it take specifically?</s>JOUEJATI: It would take for the Israeli delegation to tell the Syrians that Israel is committed to peace, that is, to withdraw to the June 4th lines, in exchange of which Syria is prepared and ready to give Israel a full peace.</s>PHILLIPS: Do you think Syria is the key to regional peace?</s>JOUEJATI: Without any doubt. Syria is more than just any other Arab state. Syria views itself as the most Arab of Arab states, as the champion of Arab rights. So, when there is a peace between Syria and Israel, in fact what we do have really is a regional peace. This would allow other Arab nations to follow suit and to normalize relations with Israel.</s>PHILLIPS: Murhaf, can we put this into perspective for the U.S. and how the talks are important to Americans?</s>JOUEJATI: The talks are very important to Americans. A deal, a peace deal between Syria and Israel would mean a final and lasting peace in the Middle East, the Middle East which is of vital strategic importance for the United States, and the Middle East, of course, is the major supplier of oil to the U.S. and to the free world, and controls the shipping lanes and the oil lanes.</s>PHILLIPS: Military withdrawal seems like an obvious solution. Is this the right idea? Both sides would be less threatened.</s>JOUEJATI: I'm sorry. I didn't get that.</s>PHILLIPS: Military withdrawal: this seems to be the obvious solution. Do you agree?</s>JOUEJATI: The obvious solution is for what is the framework for all of this, which is the land-for-peace equation: Israel withdraws from all the land that it occupies in Syrian territory, and Syria gives all the peace that it is required to give to Israel, i.e. legitimacy, a normalcy that Israel has never had in the Middle East.</s>PHILLIPS: Isn't that the truth. Murhaf Jouejati, international affairs analyst, thanks for joining us.</s>JOUEJATI: Thank you.