Barak vows to achieve peace according to UN resolutions 242 and 338
Regional-Israel, Politics, 7/7/1999

The Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has repeated his promises to resume talks with Syria on the grounds of UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, which are based on the land-for-peace principle.

In the first statement for his government, he read on Tuesday before the Israeli Knesset, in which he focused on the main outlines of his policy, Barak said, "We know that comprehensive and stable peace can be established only if it rests, simultaneously, on four pillars: Egypt, Jordan, and Syria and Lebanon, in some sense as a single bloc, and of course the Palestinians. As long as peace is not grounded on all these four pillars, it will remain incomplete and unstable."

Barak addressed the Palestinians saying "My ambition and desire is to bring an end to violence and suffering, and to work with the elected Palestinian leadership, under Chairman Yasser Arafat, in partnership and respect, in order to jointly arrive at a fair and agreed settlement for co-existence in freedom, prosperity and good neighborliness in this beloved land where the two peoples will always live."

Barak also vowed to withdraw the Israeli army from south Lebanon within one year, while acting to "guarantee the welfare and security of residents along the northern border."

The Israeli prime minister renewed his government's commitment to Israel's occupation of the Arab city of Jerusalem, repeating that a united Jerusalem is the "eternal capital of Israel."

Barak continued he will head for Washington very soon to discuss with US President Bill Clinton all matters pertaining to achieving peace and "fortification of the strength and security of Israel."

Previous Stories:
  Barak's new government   (7/6/1999)
  On Israel's withdrawal from the Golan   (7/6/1999)
  Palestinian Authority expects stop to establishment of settlements   (7/3/1999)
  Barak talks on the telephone to Arafat   (7/3/1999)

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