On Barak's commitment to withdraw from south Lebanon

The editor of the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, Shemon Schiffer, said the commitment made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to the Knesset to withdraw from south Lebanon implies a long-term pledge providing for pulling out the Israeli army from Lebanon in the framework of an agreement, therefore, "Barak has to renew negotiations with Syria and to give up the Golan against having comfortable security arrangements and holding a general referendum to ratify the agreement with Syria."

Orient Radio said that its correspondent in the occupied Arab territories indicated statements made by the spokesman for the Syrian Foreign Ministry welcoming Barak's statements. The Syrian statements were made in Damascus two days ago.

For its part, the Israeli daily Maariv asserted Syrian satisfaction with Israel in that Syria creates "normal and positive atmospheres." The Israeli paper attributed such feelings to aides close to Barak who said that such statements would pave the way for resuming negotiations between Syria and Israel.

The paper added that Barak is seriously studying a proposal to withdraw from the Golan to the international borders, but with keeping the eastern coast of Tabaraya lake and to debate the question of water resources of al-Hemmeh district to international arbitration.