Jordanian mediation in the peace process

The Jordanian daily al-Dostour said that the Israelis show high appreciation for the efforts made by King Abdullah II of Jordan to resume negotiations on the Syrian track from the point at which they broke off.

In a report from Jerusalem published on Tuesday the paper added that the Israeli minister at Israeli Prime Minsiter Ehud Barak's office, Haim Ramon welcomed the efforts made by King Abdullah who met with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad several times and made several telephone calls to Barak for the same purpose.

The Jordanian paper continued that King Abdullah also introduced practical projects, including meetings of Syrian and Israeli officials in Amman, adding that the king sent the chief of Jordan's royal court, Abdul Karim al-Kabareiti, twice to Damascus.

Al-Dostour continued that last week Barak also praised the efforts made by King Abdullah, yet all Israeli officials note a main obstacle impeding the resumption of negotiation on the Syria track in that President Hafez al-Assad has set a precondition of resuming these negotiations to returning to the borders prior to June 4, 1967 and not to the international borders.

Ramon indicated that the Syrians were occupying a land before the June war extending from the international borders to Tabaraya's east coast and that the Syrian army then was positioned on that coast, which is not part of the Syrian territories.

The paper added that Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, who is one of the Oslo agreement's engineers, says the Israelis did not receive any indications on the Syrian stand and that if Syria will be persistent on its position there will be no peace on the Syrian track.

The paper quoted Western diplomatic sources as saying that King Abdullah actually reached "flexibility" from Barak, and this explained the intensive activity the king is making towards Damascus, adding that the first phase withdrawal will be made from Majdal Shams town and its surroundings.