Yesterday, the Syrian leadership reiterated that peace with Israel cannot be achieved without the full restoration of the occupied Golan Heights. This statement was made on the eve of the conclusion of the ninth Qatari conference of the ruling Baath Party, which has extended its activities by one day. Today, the conference is set to issue several important recommendations while emphasizing the continuation of the fight against corruption.
Dr. Bashar Al-Assad, who is preparing to succeed his late father, President Hafez Al-Assad, was quoted as saying, while monitoring the work of the three committees formed during the conference, that Israel should withdraw from all occupied Arab territories. He emphasized the adherence to Syrian principles established by his late father regarding peace negotiations, which have stalled due to Israel’s rejection of Syrian demands not to give up any inch of the territories occupied by Israel during the June 1967 aggression.
This was further confirmed by Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam. The Israeli newspaper “Maariv” reported that Bashar Al-Assad asked American Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to instruct peace coordinator Dennis Ross to work towards the prompt resumption of peaceful negotiations with Israel. The newspaper quoted a Syrian source close to the next president, stating that Bashar made these statements to Albright during their meeting in Damascus on the day of the late president’s funeral. According to the newspaper, the source revealed that Bashar does not intend to postpone the resumption of negotiations with Israel until his position as president is strengthened. He intends to prioritize all the reforms he plans to pursue, including the peace process. The source confirmed that Bashar will not relinquish Syria’s demand for a full Israeli withdrawal to the lines of June 4, 1967. However, he is open to the idea of transforming the northeastern bank of Lake Tiberias, located between the June 4 border and the mandate border, into a development zone for Syrian-Israeli civil cooperation, similar to the proposal put forward approximately two months ago by the British journalist Patrick Seale.
In response, Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam reiterated yesterday that peace with Israel will not be achieved without the full restoration of the Golan Heights. Khaddam addressed questions from participants at the Ninth Qatar Congress of the Baath Party. According to the official Syrian News Agency, Khaddam affirmed Syria’s unwavering position on the justice and comprehensiveness of peace, provided Israel responds to the principles set by the late president. He explained that Syria supports a just and comprehensive peace based on the resolutions of international legitimacy, the principle of land for peace, and withdrawal to the June 4, 1967 line. Khaddam stated that Syria is committed to the peace process as a strategic option if the appropriate conditions are met.
The conference, set to conclude today, Tuesday, appointed Bashar Al-Assad as the leader of the party two days ago. Yesterday, the conference formed a six-member committee, with General Bashar Al-Assad as the head, tasked with proposing the names of the new Qatari leadership members. The announcement of the formation of the party’s leading bodies will take place today, Tuesday, at the end of the conference. Alongside Bashar, the committee includes five members from the outgoing leadership: Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam, Zuhair Masharqah, Minister of Defense Mustafa Tlass, Assistant Secretary General of the Party Abdullah Al-Ahmar, and Assistant Secretary of Qatar Suleiman Qaddah. The 1,021 conference members will vote by raising their hands to accept the candidates who will join the 21-member Qatari leadership. Sources have suggested Quneitra Governor Walid Al-Booz as a candidate representing the Maronite community and Minister of Higher Education Hassan Risha as a representative of the Greek Orthodox community to join the Qatari leadership. The announcement of the 91 members of the Central Committee will also take place on Tuesday.
Moreover, it is anticipated that the conference will issue a series of important decisions concerning the living conditions of citizens, Syrian economic life, and measures related to integrity, combating corruption, and negligence. Sources have addressed the topics of fighting corruption, waste, and negligence, and have called on the executive, legislative, and judicial authorities to continue the campaign initiated by Dr. Bashar Al-Assad three months ago. The Qatari conference is expected to call upon the government to increase the wages of state employees in line with political trends aimed at improving the living situation of citizens. This matter has been a significant focus of discussions within the Economic Committee resulting from the conference.
