Report: Settlement lines on the Syrian - Israeli track

The Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am quoted Israeli sources close to Prime Minister Ehud Barak as saying that the main guidelines for the settlement plan with Syria contains the following nine points. The paper said in its Tuesday's issue that these guidelines are:

1. The borders. Israeli withdraws from the whole of the Golan and a solution will be found for al-Hemmah (of abundant waters) problem.

2. Security. Security arrangements are taken in a way to prevent the possibility of sudden Syrian attack on Israel.

3. Foreign presence. UN forces are to be deployed in the Golan, not to include Americans, in order to preserve peace and monitor security arrangements.

4. Lebanon. Israel withdraws from Lebanon against guarantees to preserve calmness.

5. Terrorism. Syria is to be asked to stop its backing for "terrorist" organizations working in Damascus.

6. Normalization. The two states exchange embassies, and borders will be opened and a certain economic cooperation is to be maintained in order to strengthen peace.

7. Nuclear energy. Barak did not deal with this matter with President Clinton but it is quite evident from his statements to the paper that he supports preserving the deterrent strategic force of Israel, even in an era of peace, and that he will ask the US to stand against any international initiative to have control over weapons that might weaken the Israeli deterrent force.

8. Water. Water resources in the Middle East are not enough for the increasing population. Under these conditions it will be difficult to reach an acceptable distribution of water between Israel and its neighbors, and the solution will be through building a huge regional water desalination factory with international financing, supervised by the US.

9. The refugees. The Palestinian refugees will be rehabilitated according to regional projects with international financing and US supervision.

On the Palestinian tracks the Israeli sources said that Barak had reached an important peace plan for settling the Palestinian cause and the establishment of a durable understanding. This plan covers six points.

1. The borders. The Palestinians are to have regional presence in the West Bank linking the Arab residents, and a high bridge will be erected as a permanent crossing between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

2. Sovereignty. Israel does not oppose the declaration of an independent Palestinian state at the end of negotiations.

3. Jerusalem is to stay a united city under the total Israeli rule, and the Palestinians are not to be given any political position in Jerusalem.

4. Refugees. The Palestinian refugees are to be rehabilitated in the countries where they reside at an international financing, and they will not have the right to return to Israel.

5. Settlements. Most of the settlements will be kept under Israeli rule.

6. Security. Jordan will be the international border for Israel which will erect early warning facilities inside the Palestinian state.