This symmetrical lack of understanding has been evident with respect to the reported discussions between Syria and Israel. Syria has argued that any form of demilitarization which takes place on the Golan Heights, or even within Syria, thus creating another cordon sanitaire for Israel, will have to be reciprocated with Israeli demilitarization within Israel itself. It is unthinkable, they retort, that Israel's territorial sovereignty will be dictated by an external power, despite the fact that this is precisely what Israel demands from the neighboring countries as part of the conflict resolution. It is against this continual mutual mistrust that each small piece of territory remains important in the defensive strategies of both sides. One should not dismiss the ideological role of territory within the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Land is a central feature of national symbolism.
The core of the struggle is in the competition for land in what is a small and insufficient piece of real estate. This has been evidenced in the publicity surrounding the issue of land sales. Palestinian land agents have been killed as reprisal for selling land to Jews, while attempts to privatize land within Israel have traditionally been rejected, despite the economic sense of such a move, because of the fear that land will be sold to Arab purchasers. But territory continues to fulfill a perceptual role relating to security. Despite the impact of the ballistic missiles, territory is still perceived as the ensurer of a more secure country.