Report: Netanyahu had approved withdrawal from the Golan to June, 1967 borders
Syria-Israel, Politics, 1/5/2000

High-ranking Israeli sources told the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am issued on Tuesday that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak keeps a message from US businessman Ron Lauder which states that former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to withdraw to June 4, 1967 border line from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

The sources added that Barak's office has planned to disclose Lauder's message on the fall of the people's referendum over the peace agreement with Syria in order to embarrass the Likud party and to prove that its former leader, Netanyahu, was ready for long-run concessions.

The sources added that Barak was due to discuss during Tuesday's talks with the Syrians the nature of withdrawal from the Syrian territories in a proposal at the beginning of the negotiations which stated that the agreement between the two sides is based on UN Security Council resolution 242 which calls for Israel's withdrawal from areas it occupied in the war of 1967.

The paper quoted Israeli analyst Allouf Bin Ann as saying that the Americans have been trying for years the idea of trading al-Hemmah for Tabarayha, according to which Syria takes the al-Himmeh area while Israel takes a certain piece of land around Tabaraya lake and may also have control on Banias.

Allouf Bin Ann continued that the controversial problem is control of al-Ghajar village and the village surrounding al-Wazzani springs which Lebanon had given Syria in the 1960s as a present for its help in a water project. The village was occupied by Israel in 1967.

Previous Stories:
  Syria did not hold any secret negotiations with Israel   (7/16/1999)
  On the Golan   (7/3/1999)
  The Israelis and negotiations with Syria   (6/4/1999)

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