Peace in the Middle East?

Despite the recent war in Gaza, high-level peace talks are in advanced stages between Israel and Syria. In yet another remarkable story rife with sources at the top of international affairs, Sy Hersh details how the negotiations, if successful, could begin a new era in the Middle East. If Syria shows that dealing with Israel is not only possible but beneficial, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah would be forced to reexamine their hard-line stance against the West. The talks center on the disputed Golan Heights—rich in religious significance and, perhaps more important, water—which Israel took from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967. Syria's president says President Obama himself must play a role in the discussions, and Hersh presents the moment as a legitimate opportunity for Obama to claim the legacy of "the President who facilitated peace in the Middle East."