Syrians too young to remember wars, but too old to forgive

By Susan Sevareid

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP): For nearly four years, Ataa Farhad has studied journalism so he can write about the troubles facing Syrians like himself who live on the Israeli-occupied side of the Golan Heights.

His career goals won't change if Syria and Israel achieve a peace that returns the plateau to Syria, but the stories he writes will.

"I will try to focus on the importance of the Golan -- its nature and geographical features -- in an attempt to attract tourists," he said.

Farhad, 28, and soon to graduate from Damascus University, and others of his generation will be expected to build on any peace that many Syrians predict their government will forge this year with Israel.

Picking up his pen to promote Syria rather than criticize Israel may be the easy part. Neighborly relations, however, "will be a little bit hard," Farhad said.

Farhad's generation is too young to remember the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel but old enough to have been inculcated with the rhetoric of a half-century of enmity. Many Syrians in their teens and 20s interviewed recently in Damascus said it is unrealistic to expect more from their generation than chilly ties of necessity with Israelis.

Although the recent resumption of peace talks between Syria and Israel quickly stalled, neither side has indicated a desire to abandon negotiations altogether, and expectations of peace are high among Syrians. Any deal is expected to return all or most of the Golan and require full diplomatic and trade relations, open borders and joint tourism projects.

Many young Syrians speak only generally about hopes for the economic prosperity that peace could bring. Foreign investors could look on Syria as a more politically stable, more attractive place to do business. Some Syrian businesspeople have expressed hope the government would turn its energies to economic development.

The Syrian government hasn't spelled out its plans, but the Golan's fertile soil would be expected to boost the nation's agriculturally based economy.

Israel has developed Golan tourism, including a ski resort, archaeological sites and nature reserves, and Syrians have high hopes their country would have similar success with Golan tourism.

"The Golan under Israeli occupation was a paradise. So, under Syrian control, it will surely be greater," said Farhad, who is from Israeli-controlled Baqaata village.

Kareem Hamdan, who is studying hotel management and tourism in Damascus, plans to take visitors on tours of the Golan if peace returns it to Syria. But his tours would have a political bent: He wants to educate tourists about Israel's occupation since the 1967 Mideast war.

Hamdan, 20, is uncomfortably aware Israelis might be among his guests. "We will have to serve them -- this is our job," he said. "But, no, I will not be happy about serving them."

Wisam Fakhar al-Din's dreams for the Golan under Syrian control are simple -- security and a fresh start.

"Syrians lived for more than 30 years under Israeli occupation and they suffered a great deal of Israeli wrongdoing, so now they need a new life," said al-Din, 24, a dental student from Majd el- Shams, just across the mined frontier inside Israeli-occupied territory. "There will be rebuilding on the land."

Al-Din, who is laying the groundwork for a dental practice in Damascus, said it's not practical for him to consider working in his hometown. He would have to wait until after it is returned to Syrian control or spend US$8,000 on a course in Israel before being allowed to work in an Israeli-controlled area.

Along with high hopes for peace come fears of failure.

A 23-year-old medical student from Majd el-Shams expressed confidence that peace is near. But he balked at having his name used because, if peace efforts fail, he will need permission to return next fall to finish his studies and feared offending Israeli authorities.

Israel lets about 300 people from Golan villages cross the frontier each fall and spring to attend college in Syria.

Several young people, including the medical student, said failure of peace efforts now would only make the region more dangerous.

"It will be a big problem if it falls apart," Farhad said. "We will make ourselves ready for war -- they will either kill us or we will kill them."

Al-Din, however, said he would expect a deep freeze in the peace process, "and I would prefer a freeze to war."