Chapter 2138 - 868: Reconciliation Under the Witness of the Great Victor?!

Golan Heights, United Nations observation post.

This post is built on the only highland on the eastern shore of Lake Tiberias, 800 meters from the Syrian positions, 600 meters from the Israeli front line, and 400 meters from the Mexican camp.

All three sides are not too far and not too close, all three can see each other, and all three have someone watching.

But today, representatives from all three sides have come.

There are three cars parked outside the post.

A Syrian army jeep, with mud splattered on the doors and a bullet mark on the windshield.

A brand-new armored command vehicle from the Squid forces, just brought up from Haifa Port, still carrying the smell of desiccant from the shipping container.

A Mexican army off-road vehicle, with soil from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean stuck to the hubcaps.

Major Sanchez stands at the entrance of the post, watching those two groups of people get out of their respective cars.

Brigadier General Hassan has changed into a clean uniform today, and the bandage on his left arm is replaced with a new one, blindingly white. He is accompanied by only one staff officer, no guards.

The representative from the Squid side is the new brigade commander of the Golan Brigade, a Colonel named Ehud Barak, who shares the same surname as the brigade commander who died in Gaza, but he is not the same person.

This Barak is in his early forties, clean-shaven, speaks slowly, like a university professor. He brings along a translator, a legal advisor, and a Major carrying a clipboard.

Four people, two sides, standing three steps apart, no one looking at anyone.

Sanchez clears his throat. "General, Colonel, please come inside."

The meeting room in the post is not large, with a long table, six chairs, and a window facing Lake Tiberias. The lake surface glistens, and several waterbirds stroll along the shoals. Sanchez sits at one end of the long table, Hassan on the left, Barak on the right. The translators sit behind them, the legal advisor opens the clipboard, and the Major opens a laptop.

Sanchez speaks first. "Today we do not discuss territory, sovereignty, or troop deployments. Today we discuss just one thing—water."

He lays a map on the table. A hydrological map of Lake Tiberias, marked with inflowing rivers, outflow pipes, water pumping stations, and purification plant locations. A red line is drawn on the lake's eastern shore, indicating the current Syrian position. A blue line is drawn on the lake's western shore, indicating the current Israeli position. A green circle is drawn at the center of the lake, next to which are three words: "Water Intake."

"This is the latest satellite survey data from the United Nations."

Sanchez points to the green circle: "Lake Tiberias has an annual average water storage of about 4 billion cubic meters. Currently, Israel's annual water extraction is 350 million cubic meters, accounting for 31% of the lake district's total flow. Syria requests an extraction amount of 100 million cubic meters, about 9% of the total."

He withdraws his hand and looks at the two men opposite. "Nine percent, not enough to make Israel die of thirst, nor to make Syria drown. But how to divide this nine percent, when to divide it, and who will manage it, that is today's topic."

Hassan speaks first: "Syria does not want water. Syria wants back its own water. Sixty-five percent of Lake Tiberias's water comes from snowmelt in the Golan Heights. Whose is the Golan Heights? Syria's. Whose is the snowmelt? Syria's. Israelis have been extracting water from our mountains and drinking it for thirty years without paying a penny. Now we want back our rightful share, it is only fair."

The translator translates his words into Hebrew.

Barak listens, showing no expression.

"Yes, 65% of Lake Tiberias's water comes from the Golan Heights. But whose is the Golan Heights now? Israel's. Thirty years ago it was Syria's, discussions from thirty years ago belong to thirty years ago. The current water is extracted by Israelis, purified by Israelis, and distributed across the country by Israelis. Syrians want water, fine. Bring something to exchange."

Hassan squints his eyes. "What to exchange?"

Barak opens the folder in front of him, takes out a sheet of paper, and pushes it to the center of the table. It is written in Arabic, Hebrew, and English: "Each cubic meter of water is exchanged for one kilogram of phosphates exported from Damascus. Monthly settlements, goods first, water later."

Hassan looks at the paper, not moving.

"Phosphate price, international market less than one hundred US dollars per ton. One cubic meter of water, exchanged for a kilogram of phosphate, equals selling water at ten thousand US dollars per ton. Colonel Barak, are you negotiating water or extorting money?"

Barak does not avoid his gaze. "General, water is not an ordinary commodity. Water is a strategic resource. The price of strategic resources is not determined by the international market; it is determined by supply and demand. The current situation is that water is on our side, while your side lacks water. That is the price."

Sanchez taps the table. "Gentlemen, we are not here to argue today."

Hassan and Barak both turn to him.

Sanchez points to the green circle on the map. "The United Nations has a proposal. Establish a joint water intake in the center of the lake, supervised by international observers. Israel and Syria each send two technical personnel, and Mexico sends three observers. Water extraction is proportionally allocated, with Israel receiving 300 million cubic meters annually and Syria 30 million cubic meters annually. Renegotiations in three years."

He withdraws his hand. "The advantage of this plan is that there is no need to discuss money, exchange, or sovereignty. The water is in the lake; whoever extracts it uses it, under the watch of international society."

Hassan speaks first. "Thirty million cubic meters, less than one-third of our request. Syrians fight for five days, lose five thousand lives, and exchange them for thirty million cubic meters of water?"