08 November '10 In the complicated realm of the Middle East,
Syria plays a central role. Giyus.org sat down with Professor
Eyal Zisser, an expert on the modern history of Syria and
Lebanon, to get a better understanding of Syria and the way it
uses terror to advance its political goals in the region. Prof.
Zisser is the head the department of Humanities Studies in Tel
Aviv University; he is a frequent speaker and writer on this
subject. Giyus.org: What's Syria role in the region and how is
it impacted by the rising power of Iran? Professor Zisser: Syria
has a central role in the Middle East. First of all, it has a
central geographic location practically at the heart of the
region. Secondly, Syria borders Israel and plays a major part in
the Arab-Israeli conflict. Its conflict with Israel allows Syria
to maintain close relationship with Hamas and Hezbollah and help
them out. The Assad family has been in power since 1970. During
this period Syria became a stable country, strong from the
military and political p