Report: Israel has been ready to withdraw from the Golan for years

In its Sunday issue, the Israeli daily the Jerusalem Post said that Israel, for years, has been ready to give up almost the whole of the Golan against a comprehensive peace agreement with Syria.

The paper added that the government of Israel unanimously approved following the end of the June 1967 war that it would retreat back to the international borders with Syria and Egypt in the framework of a genuine peace.

The paper elaborated that Menahim Begin himself had agreed that the decision of the Israeli government stated that it would retreat to the international borders with each of Syria and Egypt in the frame of a real peace agreement.

The paper added that unluckily, all Arab states refused the Israeli offer for peace until former Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat made the dramatic change in his sudden and historic visit to Jerusalem.

The paper said that US negotiator Philip Habib made secret negotiations with Syria in 1982, but all these negotiations were doomed to failure following Israel's deployment into Lebanon.

The Israeli paper added that another serious attempt was made when former Israeli Prime Minister Yirzhak Rabin was elected in 1992 and after him Shemon Peres.

The Israeli paper continued that it has become clear now there was a history of lost and missed chances between the two sides.