Barak speaks of the peace of the brave

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said in a speech he delivered before the Israeli Knesset on Monday that the "decisive hour to achieve peace with Syria has come."

Barak added, "We have to pass this door together through taking the necessary measures, even if they are painful, in order to achieve a brave and honorable peace."

Barak added: "We hope to reach a peace agreement with Syria and to very soon reach an organized withdrawal for our troops from south Lebanon in the framework of an agreement with Damascus" that provides for what he called "ensuring security of towns along our borders and honoring our obligations towards," what he described as "the allies in south Lebanon," in reference to the South Lebanon Army militia.

Barak also said he intends to withdraw the Israeli forces from south Lebanon by the fall of July 2000.