Report: Barak plays strongest card in campaign for peace with Syria

The Israeli daily Haaretz on Sunday said that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak started to play his strongest card in his campaign to have popular backing for signing a peace treaty with Syria, adding that this card is Israeli Chief of Staff General Shaul Mofaz.

The paper said Mofaz carries with him the key to the popular referendum over the Golan, as if he says that the peace agreement the prime minister reached with Syria has certain violations on the security level, the result of the referendum will be negative.

The paper added that Mofaz has expressed his confidence that the agreement to be concluded by Barak will take into account the security aspect and that he puts all his "career" support for the steps taken by Barak towards peace with Syria.

The paper continued that Mofaz sent a two-copy message to Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in which he indicated that the Israeli Army backs a withdrawal from the Golan, and the second copy was sent to the Israeli people in which Mofaz said that Barak is reliable.

The paper said it is the first time when the army has backed the prime minister to take a political decision, as the initiative taken to shorten the army service period, which Barak links to reaching a peace agreement with both Syria and Lebanon, is considered a step in organizing the Israeli Army.