Syria has announced that it is ready to resume indirect peace talks with the new Israeli government concerning the Syrian Golan heights, which were seized by Israel in 1976. Earlier peace talks were stopped when Israel started its war on Gaza.

“The Golan Heights is a region in southwestern Syria, occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of June 1967. The area of the Golan Heights is about 1250 sq km (about 483 sq mi).

Prior to 1967 the Golan Heights was home to approximately 100,000 Syrians. When Israel invaded the region in 1967, most of the Syrian population were forced to leave. Today, their number exceeds 500,000. They are still not allowed to go back to the homes and lands they left 36 years ago.” (Damascus-Online)

Syria’s Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Mu’allem said that they are aiming for “A full agreement from Israel to a commitment to a withdrawal from the Golan Heights” on a land for peace basis.

On the other hand, Foreign Israeli minister Avigdor Lieberman said that peace will only be in exchange for peace, while affirming that Israel is not planning to agree to withdraw from Golan Heights.

It is not just that Israel kept the original land owners out, but also allowed their citizens to build illegal settlements all over it, settlements which were condemned internationally.

All of which making it practically the same story, but with different victims each time...