Barak's concessions for making peace

The Israeli daily Haaretz said on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is ready to postpone the opening of Israel's embassy in Damascus until the final stages of withdrawal from the Golan Heights, a matter which shows his intention to give up his persistence to open a diplomatic mission in the Syrian capital directly following the first phase of the withdrawal.

The Israeli paper added that certain ministers in the Israeli Cabinet view this matter as another subjugation to the Syrian demands.

On Thursday Barak's office stressed that Israel has not yet considered opening an embassy in Damascus as a precondition for returning the Golan to Syria.

Barak's office recalled the peace agreement with Egypt as an example when the exchange of diplomats and ambassadors between the Egyptian and Israeli sides were made only after the first stages of withdrawal from the Sinai peninsula.

The Israeli paper quoted advisors to Barak as saying that Barak is calling for a vast series of confidence-building measures, but these measures do not include the opening of embassies.

Those who are aligned to the rightist wing in the Israeli government say that Barak's flexibility on the issue of the embassy is only part of the price which he is ready to pay in order to improve the chances for providing a success for the summit to be held on Sunday in Geneva between President Hafez al-Assad and President Bill Clinton.

Barak's advisors also say that Barak also showed great flexibility concerning the establishment of early warning station over al-Sheikh mountain and also for the area situated on the eastern part of the Tabaraya lake which will stay under the control of Israel.