ABSTRACT
At the beginning of 1993, for the first time in the history of relations between Israel and Syria, the necessary conditions existed for the development of a political process between the two countries. At that one point in time, the interests of Israel, Syria and the United States converged, encouraging the three countries to seek a peace treaty, and correlating with the desire and readiness of the leaders of the three states to achieve such a treaty. From that time and for the next seven years, until March 2000, four Israeli heads of state, Rabin, Peres, Netanyahu and Barak, and the presidents of Syria and the United States, Assad and Clinton, strove to reach agreement. But the existence of these necessary conditions did not suffice. On the way to peace, two additional obstacles had to be eliminated: the first was political-tactical and the second was psychological. And, ultimately, these could not be overcome.
