Barak seeks peace with the Arabs

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said upon presenting his government to the Israeli Knesset on Tuesday, "Here, today, I call upon all the leaders of the region to extend their hands to meet our outstretched hand, and toward a 'peace of the brave.'"

Barak added, "To Syrian President Hafez Assad, I say that the new Israeli government is determined, as soon as possible, to advance the negotiations for the achievement of full, bilateral treaty of peace and security, on the basis of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338."

Barak added, "We have been tough and bitter adversaries on the battlefield. The time has come to establish a secure and courageous peace which will ensure the futures of our peoples, our children and our grandchildren."

Barak spoke of giving all peace negotiation tracks the same attention.