Seven issues in meeting between al-Sharaa and Barak

Presumably, the Israeli-Syrian talks which will start today in Washington will lead to settling several disputes in order to reach peace. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has recently set seven files that should be negotiated upon with Damascus.

These issues are the volume of the Israeli withdrawal from the Golan, the early warning system on the Golan Heights, the question of Lebanon, "terrorism," water, normalization of diplomatic relations and opening of borders.

The Golan: The Golan Heights, which were occupied by Israel in 1967 and annexed in 1981, consist of an area of 1,150 km2, populated by 17,500 Israeli settlers and the same number of Syrians who have never given up their Syrian nationality.

The Syrians have always asked Israel to withdraw from the Golan to the June 1967 border lines and stress that they had received a promise of that from the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and that this promise (known as Rabin's deposit) was confirmed by US President Bill Clinton. In 1995, Israel had openly remarked that it is ready to withdraw from the Golan to the international borders in exchange for peace and security arrangements.

However the differences between the international borders set by the British and the French in 1923 and the June borders of 1967 is several square kilometers. With the passing of years the question of the volume of withdrawal has become a bulwark against the resumption of dialogue between the two sides;

Security arrangements: In 1994, Barak himself held talks in Washington in his capacity then as the Israeli Army's chief of staff with his Syrian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Hikmat al-Shehabi, concerning security arrangements which were to coincide with a gradual withdrawal from the Golan. The progress attained in the meeting between al-Shehabi with former Israeli Army chief of staff Amnon Shahak led to the agreement of the two sides on "principles and objectives of the security arrangements."

The early warning station on the heights and having the Israeli forces on Hermon mountain, which overlooks the Golan, was the obstacle against settling this matter, as Syria opposes such Israeli presence because it "violates Syrian sovereignty and complete withdrawal."

According to certain information issued recently by the Israeli papers, Syria may agree that the early warning stations might be handed over to American civil servants for supervision. For its part Syria calls for the establishment of the early warning stations in Israel and the no-weapon areas "to also be extended in the Israeli front of the borders on the principle of reciprocal treatment;"

Lebanon: Barak vowed to withdraw the Israeli forces from south Lebanon before July 7, 2000 in the framework of an agreement with Syria which keeps 35,000 soldiers in Lebanon. Observers believe that resuming negotiations between the Syrians and the Israelis will help Barak to postpone the date set for withdrawal from Lebanon;

Terrorism: Israel wants Syria to prevent the launching of attacks on its territories following the withdrawal from south Lebanon and to freeze the Hizbullah movement, which is considered the spearhead of resisting the Israeli occupation. Israel also calls on Damascus to halt any backing for the Palestinian armed groups opposing the policy of Yasser Arafat;

The waters: Israel, who for many years has been suffering discrepancy in waters, wants to get guarantees from Damascus that a withdrawal from the Golan Heights will not affect its water supplies from Tabaraya lake or from the tributaries of the Jordan River;

Normalization of diplomatic relations: Israel expects that signing a peace agreement with Syria will be conducive to full normalization of diplomatic relations and not only establishing a "cold peace." But Syria adheres to establishing "ordinary" relations with Israel without being obliged to impose anything on its people in this regard;

Opening of borders: Lastly the negotiations have to deal with the moves of properties and persons between the two sides. Syria agrees to the movement of persons between the two sides following the signing of peace agreement and the embassies to be reciprocated following Israel's withdrawal from the Golan.