On Patrick Seale's visit to Israel

In its report, Israel Radio said that the visit started on June 7 to Israel by British journalist Patrick Seale, the biographer of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, received great interests from politicians and decision-makers in Israel, especially in light of statements made by Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak on reaching a settlement with the Syrian side on the withdrawal from south Lebanon within one year.

The radio report added that despite the fact that Seale asserts that he is not a spokesman for President Hafez al-Assad and that he does not carry with him any message from Damascus, politicians and officials in the Israeli security systems have arranged for him meetings with several Israeli figures, including the chairman of Ehud Barak's strategic commission, Dane Yatou, and his future advisor concerning the Syrian file.

During his visit, Seale met with Israeli President Ezer Weizman. He will also meet with member of the Israeli Knesset and former Prime Minsiter Shimon Peres and will make a tour of the Golan Heights in the company of former chief of the Israeli army intelligence Maj. Ori Safir.

Israel Radio said this is the second visit for the British journalist to Israel after his visit to Damascus on the eve of the Israeli elections. Seale's current visit to Israel is at the invitation of the Dayan Center for Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv.

Seale is at the meantime embarking on writing the second part of his book about the Syrian president. During his visit to Israel, Seale will deliver two lectures. The first will be in a closed-door forum and the second under the title "Syria towards the year 2000."

The two lectures come on the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the modern Middle East center, headed by Etimar Rabinovich.