Simple majority for Barak in Knesset allows him to negotiate with Syria
Syria-Israel, Politics, 12/14/1999

Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak won a simple majority in the Israeli Knesset last night that allows him to negotiate with Syria. This came after a speech delivered by Barak in which he warned that not holding negotiations with Syria will result in the shedding of more blood.

Barak spoke about the possibility of presenting concessions of lands for peace with Syria. The cost of the Israeli withdrawal from area were estimated at about $18 billion.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry qouted Barak's statement to the Knesset "The future of the State of Israel is more important than politics of the moment during the tenure of any particular Government. All of us are the public's emissaries, not its masters. None of us is higher than the wishes of the people, including our raucous rivals in the opposition and our sincerely anguished friends on the Golan Heights. When the negotiations end-may they end successfully-we will present the entire agreement to the public for a plebiscite. Everything will be overt and clear. All citizens of Israel, irrespective of their differences, will see the agreement that we will bring, they will judge for themselves, and the people will decide! I am convinced that the people will respond to such an agreement, on the day it is presented to them, with a resounding 'aye.'"

Barak said " (I) cannot tell you that an agreement can be attained without a steep territorial price," adding "If an agreement takes shape, it will be a historical moment. Its price will be the price that our generation will pay for our future and for posterity, for an end to the wars and bloodshed, for the ability to look our children in the eye-including those who live on the Golan Heights-and to tell them that we did it all to strengthen Israel's security and prevent the next war. It is our generation's challenge and mission is to bring comprehensive peace and security to Israel."

The official statement quoted Barak as saying "It is our supreme responsibility to history, as our children look on, to act today so that we shall not have to dig new rows of graves tomorrow in a conflict that could have been settled in a way that would also have strengthened Israel regionally and globally."

Israel's Haaretz daily reported yesterday that "In a meeting with ministers last night, Barak expressed optimism and said the talks might end within several months. He instructed the justice minister to go ahead with the legislation of the referendum bill."

Israel is expected to ask financial support from the USA and the countries sponsoring peacemaking.

Previous Stories:
  Peres expects ratification of peace with Syria within a year   (12/13/1999)
  Syria for continuing peace negotiations with Israel in Washington   (12/13/1999)
  Israeli Knesset member backs withdrawal from the Golan   (12/13/1999)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search