Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad said in an interview Saturday that his country would get the Golan back from Israel – by force, if not by negotiation. “The Israelis must know that the Golan is Syrian and they are not to raise their children and families there... they will not benefit from living in the Golan.” He added that Syria had the means to force Israel to return the Golan using “non-peaceful” means. “"What is preferable - liberating the Golan through peace and without bloodshed or liberating the land through war?,” he asked rhetorically.
On Friday, Syrian President Bashar Assad told an Indian newspaper that Israel was the one interested n negotiating, not Syria, because the country is weak. "The Israelis used to think that with time they were going to be stronger and any opposition to their policies would be weaker, but actually what happened was the opposite," Assad said. "Now, the Israelis learned that without peace they cannot live safely and Israel cannot be safe."
On Friday, Syrian President Bashar Assad told an Indian newspaper that Israel was the one interested n negotiating, not Syria, because the country is weak. "The Israelis used to think that with time they were going to be stronger and any opposition to their policies would be weaker, but actually what happened was the opposite," Assad said. "Now, the Israelis learned that without peace they cannot live safely and Israel cannot be safe."