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Following are excerpts from an interview with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, which aired on Al-Manar TV on March 24, 2010.
Bashar Al-Assad: War is the worst possible solution. Nobody wants war. Even the resistance movement, anywhere in the Arab world, wants peace, not war. But the resistance emerged due to the absence of peace. We should continue to strive for peace as long as there is hope.
You might ask if we place any hope in the Israeli government – no, we don't, but we believe that Israel today – from what we hear from its supporters – has no option other than peace. The Israeli deterrence has declined over time. Even though Israel has strengthened militarily, the deterrence of the Arab masses and their notion of resistance have increased. So Israel has, in fact, grown weaker, and its military strength no longer guarantees its existence.
Many of Israel's supporters – especially among the Zionist organizations, and the extreme pro-Israel Jews – say: "We used to believe in war, and we used to support every Israeli war, but now we believe that Israel has no option but peace."
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It is well-known that Syria is developing its army, even according to what Israel itself says. I am not quoting statements by pro-Syrian circles. Even the enemy acknowledges Syria's efforts to develop [its military]. This means that the state of "neither war nor peace" is temporary. Either it will end in peace – the signing of a peace accord – or it will end in war. There is no other option. But you turn to war only when you have lost all hope of peace.