JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: If a Syrian-Israeli peace deal is brokered, it would certainly bring change to the people of those two nations, though the distrust and outright animosity between them run deep. CNN's Ben Wedeman reports from Damascus.</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is little enthusiasm for the peace talks in the crowded allies of old Damascus. People seem resigned to the inevitability of peace. (on camera): Officials here say that Syria and Israel could conclude a peace treaty within months, but it may take generations for some Syrians to put the past behind them. (voice-over): Things are done the old way in this ancient land, where history's measured in millennia, the past weighs heavily on the present. "We can't forget our history," says this man. "A peace agreement is a political decision, but we can't be expected to become friends from one day to the next." For Israel, peace means normal relations with Syria, including an exchange of ambassadors, trade and tourism. Syria seems to define peace in more basic terms. "An end to the state of war," says this member of parliament," an end to hostility between Syria and Israel." Syria wants the Golan Heights back. Beyond that, many Syrians seem to shrug off the opportunities peace might bring.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And even if the Israeli came here, I think the Syrian people won't like them, you know. They won't -- they're not welcome, I think, here.</s>WEDEMAN: "Maybe time will bring us closer together," says this student, "but we can't be expected to change from one day to the next." Whatever coming out of the negotiations, the people of Syria are likely to follow their leader without protest. The result could well be peace, but a peaces as devoid of warmth as a cold winter day. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Damascus.
Old Damascus, Syria, Feels Little Enthusiasm for Peace With Israel