There is persistent speculation that Syria and…

There is persistent speculation that Syria and Israel are on the verge of concluding an agreement regarding the future of the Golan Heights, but Syria remains adamant that Israel has to promise to return not only all of the territory it occupied in June 1967 but also several disputed enclaves around Lake Tiberias before it will normalize relations with the Jewish state.

At the beginning of April, Syrian officials propose that demilitarized zones of equal size be established on both sides of the pre-1967 border.

An Israeli spokesperson dismisses the proposal because the western zone would stretch "halfway to Haifa."

Meanwhile, the Syrian leadership moves to consolidate ties to Egypt and the Arab Gulf states.

In April, ...