Israeli negotiations teams with Arab counterparts

The Israeli Army's chief of staff, Gen. Shaoul Moufaz, has assigned three main Israeli Army officers at the rank of major general to lead the security teams to the peace talks with Syria, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority.

Israel Radio said on Tuesday that Moufaz had proposed that Israeli army officers take part in the negotiations rather than chair the negotiation teams.

In this context, the chairman of the planning commission in the Israeli Army, Shlomo Mainai, was appointed as the chairman of the security team to peace talks with Syria, which will be resumed on January 3, 2000 in Washington.

Meanwhile, the commander of the northern area in the Israeli Army, Gabi Ashmenazi, has recent chaired meeting that was attended by several members of the Israeli military units, during which they discussed what they had called the security arrangements in the Golan after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces.

Israeli Radio said on Tuesday that the participants in the meeting also discussed security measures, including the borders from which the Israeli army is ready to withdraw.