Report: Elements of a Syrian - Israeli peace
Syria-Israel, Politics, 12/22/1999

The Jordanian daily al-Aswaq said that the peace project between Syria and Israel that has been debated between the two sides at the present includes several political, security, economic and regional elements.

The paper added that these elements were drawn in the form of a draft project for announcing the principles of an agreement by the EU Middle East peace process special envoy Miguel Moratinos. It was modified by Martin Indyk and Madeleine Albright to become a basis for resuming the negotiations.

In a news report published on Tuesday in Amman, the paper added that the draft project the Syrian and Israeli sides will discuss at the beginning of next month includes the following elements:

Regional elements:

1. The Israeli army withdraws from the current lines in the Golan Heights according to the Madrid conference's terms of references as an implementation of UN resolutions 242 and 338.

2. UN resolution 425, which provides for Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon, is to be implemented in line with and with the timing of UN resolutions 242 and 338.

Security elements:

1. Security arrangements are to be made on the grounds of reciprocated equality with the objective of strengthening stability and ensuring security interests for the two sides.

2. The security arrangements are in compliance with the principles of sovereignty and regional unity, but under the condition that the Lebanese dimension will be taken into account. These security arrangements are also to take into consideration the nature of the region, the two sides' positions in the military and political arenas, and the consequences of redeployment on military capabilities.

3. Stability can be realized through minimizing the possibility of military attacks, especially surprise attacks, and minimizing the possibility of these attacks' success in case such an attack takes place.

4. To meet this objective the possibilities of having friction between the two armies are eliminated, and therefore three isolation zones will be established: a zone free from all weapons, followed by another area of enough depth in which weapons' quality and quantity restrictions are imposed and all forces must abide by and then a third zone where only defense means are present.

5. Early warning stations should be erected to prevent surprise attacks

6. The two sides discuss the idea of having UN forces with an American nucleus to supervise the agreement and ensure its implementation.

Other elements: Peaceful relations between the two sides includes diplomatic, economic and cultural relations with the objective of opening the way for promoting peace. Practical measures will be taken to build confidence in the political, economic and social areas, and the two sides will back and participate in the framework of regional cooperation and the multilateral tracks.

Water resources: the issue of water is to be dealt with according to international law, taking into account Syria's rights and Israel's requirements of waters

Terrorism: The moment in which the agreement is materialized between the two sides, each party bans the existence of organizations for illegal forces or armed groups or infrastructures for terrorism aiming at threatening or making the other side vulnerable.

However, stages for implementing the agreement will be discussed between the two sides as part of the agreement and within the context of a set timetable.

Previous Stories:
  Barak declares adherence to the necessity of Israel's withdrawal from the Golan   (12/21/1999)
  Yemen, Iran support Syrian bid to restore the Golan   (12/21/1999)
  Peres: I assured to President Clinton my commitment to Rabin's written and oral obligations towards Syria   (12/21/1999)

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