Israel-Syria "Non-Paper" on the Aims and Principles of the Security Arrangements, 24 May 1995

Aims

1.The most important priority is to reduce, if not eliminate, the danger of surprise attack.

2. Prevent or minimize friction on a daily basis and on the boundary.

3. Reduce the danger for large-scale attack, invasion, or major war.

Principles

1. Security is a legitimate need for both sides. No claim of security, or a guarantee for it, should be achieved at the expense of the security of the other side.

2. Security arrangements should be equal, mutual, and reciprocal on both sides.

3. The two sides acknowledge that security arrangements should be arrived at through mutual agreement and, as such, should be consistent with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each side.

4. Security arrangements should be co&ned to the relevant areas on both sides

of the boundary between the two countries.

[In an addendum to paragraph 2, the notion of equality in security arrangements was further defined to address the Israeli argument that, because Israel and Syria were not geographically symmetrical, some flexibility would be required:]

       Equality, particularly in so far as geography and difficulties with geography are concerned, being as follows:

       The purpose of the security arrangements is to ensure equality in overall security within the context of a state of peace between Syria and Israel. If, during the negotiations on security arrangements, it appears that the implementation of equality in principle, in so far as geography is concerned with regard to a particular arrangement is impossible or too difficult, the experts of the two sides will discuss the difficulty of this particular arrangement, resolve it either by modifying it (which includes supplementing or subtracting from) or by mutually agreeing to a satisfactory solution.

SOURCE: Patrick Seale, "The Syria-Israel Negotiations: Who Is Telling the Truth?" Journal of Palestine Studies 29:2 (Winter, 2000), 73.