Report: Barak is ready to restore the Golan

The British daily "Sunday Times " on Sunday reported that Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak is ready to restore the Golan to Syria against a general peace settlement.

The paper, which did not indicate the source of its information, added that Barak's aides have set out a plan under which " Israel would withdraw almost completely from the mountainous region in the north, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. It has occupied the Golan Heights since capturing them from Syria during the Six Day War in 1967."

The paper stated that this plan Israel demands a 15 miles weapons-free area on the two sides of the new Syrian-Israeli borders. The paper stressed that Barak is strongly supporting that Israel keep a strip of land to the east of Tabaraya lake "which would ensure Syria had no rights to its waters"

Against Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon, Barak wants Syria, who enjoys a strong influence in Lebanon, to dissolve the military wing of the Hizbullah party.