Syria: Soon Israeli Arabs will be free to visit our country

Syria will soon allow Israeli Arabs to visit freely, Israeli Knesset member Dr. Azmi Bishara said Sunday. Bishara, a member of the communist-affiliated Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, said he received confirmation to this effect during his latest visit to Syria and meetings with Syrian Vice-president Abdul Halim Khaddam, as well as with Foreign Minister Farouk Al Sharaa.

Meanwhile, an Arab woman who lives in the village of Kana in the Galilee, received authorization to visit Syria, to see her family members in Damascus, Israeli papers reported Sunday. The 37-year old woman and mother of five, left two days ago for Syria along with two of her children. She traveled first to Amman, and at the Syrian embassy she was accorded special transit papers for visiting Syria. The woman left her Israeli passport with the police in Jordan until after her return from Syria. Only then will she receive the Israeli passport back and return to her home village.

The woman's family said they were happy to see Arabs living in Israel allowed to visit Syria, but noted that the husband was denied a similar permit and no reasons were given by the Syrian authorities. Knesset member Bishara said Syrian officials had told him during his recent visit that Arabs from inside Israel will soon be allowed to visit and that the decision to create relations with Israeli Arabs is genuine, and has no connection to the advancement of the peace process.