Catch 22 On The Shebaa Farms
The Syrians won’t demarcate the Shebaa Farms because of Israeli occupation. The Israelis won’t leave the farms because they are not demarcated, and Hezbollah won’t abandon their weapons because the Shebaa farms are still occupied.
Here’s a question: Wasn’t the entire purpose of “demarcating the Lebanese-Syrian border” –an important item on the agenda of the President’s visit to Damascus– to determine the ownership of the contentious Shebaa farms?
What good does it do us to demarcate our borders if we skip over the controversial part, the only part that really matters? Besides, what does it take for the process of demarcation anyway? All it takes is a technical team from each country to work together on a map, sign it and hand it over to the United nations. It’s not like you have to send topographers on the ground to measure occupied territories.
By refusing to demarcate the Shebaa Farms, Syria is proving that it is more interested in keeping this powder keg, a cause célèbre for Hezbollah, than in getting the farms back.
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Hello, my name is Mustapha and I blog in The Beirut Spring about Lebanese society and politics. I started in February 2005 after the killing of P.M. Rafik Hariri.
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there is another problem dude, the border with Israël, therefore with Syria in that part depends not on the blue line but on the Newcomb something treaty signed btw france and UK in 1923.
It means as well to have recognized borders, lebanon needs to ask for the cooperation of france and Uk (which is not constituting a problem) to handle maps and they did it but as well with Israël to recognise these lines, as it needs an international agreement and therefore a negociation with israel…
hard to get these preconditions especially today.
Former Vice President of Syria Abdel-Halim Khaddam, in an interview with the Lebanese Future Television on August 27, 2006, speaking of Syria’s most recent comments regarding Shebaa Farms, said: “Saying that the farms are occupied, and hence cannot be demarcated, is nothing but a pretext. The demarcation would not take more than an hour if there was a political will.”
Somehow I had a feeling Syria don’t really want this whole diplomatic relations thing with Lebanon… Can’t the Lebanese government unilaterally demarcate it’s own border and declare the farms Syrian?
Well, Israle can’t leave until this is sorted out. We have withdrawn to what most people (and the UN) agree is the international border, the location of which is generally not in contention. On the other hand, our (inevitable) withdrawal from occupied Syrian land must wait for a peace deal with Syria, since we need to sort out our border dispute with them. In short, Syria wants the 1949 “armistice line”; we want the 1923 “international border” line. The main differences are their access to the Sea of Galilee and the area around Al-Hama.
Once Syria and Lebanon decide where their common border is, Israel could in principle withdraw from the Lebanese part of the Golan Heights. Sadly, I doublt this will happen: I don’t think any Israeli leader will have the political capital to withdraw from annexed land without a getting a peace deal in return. Realistically, Israel won’t withdraw from any part of the annexed Golan Heights until we sign a peace deal with Syria.
“The Syrians won’t demarcate the Shebaa Farms”
Mustapha, you should’ve stopped right there. There is no catch-22.
Well Duuh Moustapha !! was that news to u !!!!
I was wondering, can’t anyone prove whether Chebaa is lebanese or not using GIS systems, as we all (most of us) know the surface of lebanon to be 10452 km2? i even think google maps can help in doing this.
Israel wont withdraw anywhere – no reason
Why ?
Because Israel knows that after shabaa – the arabs will want more -all the way to Tel Aviv.
Watch for a total change in the Israeli mentality that will say…expantion is the only way to Survive…and Thrive
and sadly…it is
I really wish the arabs would welcome israel home as the family she really is…would change everthing
Andrew does have a point. One never hears Arabs discuss or acknowledge what the “right size” should be for Israel, as in should it be bigger or smaller. The implication is that Arabs currently do not want Israel around at all and will keep trying to hack at it like diners cutting into salami.
So Mustapha, why do you think there’s no political will for even something like this from the M14 people? Can’t they issue a declaration that they consider Shebaa Syrian – or Lebanese – and ask the UN – and Israel – to recognize it as such? What would Hez do if tomorrow M14 leaders were to declare this, request UN and Israeli recognition for the fact, and pending Israeli acceptance, declare willingness to sign a peace treaty with Israel?
What arguments would Hezb have to stop it?
So sily. Listen to Chaaddam. Shabba is one of the the most desolated unfertile pieces of land in Lebanon-Israel-Syria. There is no water there and no real soil. it is cold and dry and the grazing is very poor. So it is not the question of property or real estate. It will take about 15 minutes to mark this border on a Google earth map. It will than take about a week on mark it on the ground. Few scores of Lebanese/Syrian who use this area for any reasons can get the proper papers that will let them use land on both side of the line. It is very common arrangement in central Europe. Israel has nothing to do with this, no body should care what Israel say or does not say about a border between two Arab countries. The question is: do these people want normal relations between Syria/Lebanon or an excuse/reason for permanent war with Israel.
Sorry guys but the whole thing is a stupid argument. Regardless of whether Chebaa farms are Lebanese or Syrian, one thing they are NOT is Israeli!!! so Israel should just get the F out of there PERIOD. and this whole border drawing bull argument need not exist and anyone indulging in it has too much time on their hands!