The issues of water and territory are addressed in other counter-objections.

With regard to security, it is well-known that Syria maintains close relationships with Hezbollah and Hamas, and has served as an effective moderator and interlocutor with these groups over the course of their respective histories. A change in the nature of Syria's relationship with Hezbollah and Hamas (from military cooperation to a purely political relationship) is a significant tangible reward sought by Israel, which Syria will offer in return for peace and the return of its occupied lands.

In addition to security, territory, and water, one assumes that living in peace and having normal relations with the entire Arab world would be a desideratum for Israel. As the Arab Peace Plan has made clear, such an eventuality is conditional upon Israel's acceptance of the basic principles outlined therein, which include returning the Golan to Syria.

This argument -- that Syria is too weak or insignificant a country to offer any real tangibles -- is commonly encountered in the mainstream media. At the same time, however, the opposite view is also regularly encountered, which holds that Syria represents a major strategic obstacle to American and Israeli interests in the Middle East.

Upon his election as Prime Minister in 1996, Mr. Netanyahu commissioned a study entitled "A Clean Break", by an Israeli-American think tank. The study called for sweeping changes to Israel’s environment, with the goal of weakening or destroying all of Israel’s enemies:

"Israel can shape its strategic environment, in cooperation with Turkey and Jordan, by weakening, containing, and even rolling back Syria. This effort can focus on removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq ― an important Israeli strategic objective in its own right ― as a means of foiling Syria’s regional ambitions."

Surely, if Syria is significant enough to merit waging a three-trillion dollar war in Iraq, then peace with Syria must be worth something to Israel.