Israel plans lobbying campaign to fund Syrian accord
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Thursday, January 27, 2000
JERUSALEM [MENL] -- Israel is planning to launch a campaign to lobby
Congress to provide aid to Syria as part of any peace agreement with the
Jewish state.
Israeli sources said senior aides to Prime Minister Ehud Barak have
convened several sessions to plan strategy. The meetings were led by Danny
Yatom, the head of Barak's political and security team.
The Israeli effort plans to target chairmen and key members of
committees in the House and Senate. These include the head of the security,
foreign relations and appropriations committees as well as subcommittees
that relate to the Middle East.
Barak has drafted the Israeli Embassy in Washington in the effort. The
embassy, the sources said, is organizing a special team to target key
members of Congress.
Israeli sources said the effort to target Congress is meant to encourage
Syria to return to the talks as well as ensure the massive amount of aid to
both Israel and Syria required to complete the peace treaty. The sources
said they expect negotiations with Syria to be completed by mid-April.
Clinton administration officials said they would also lobby Congress for
aid to Syria and Israel. But they said the Israeli requests of $17 billion
for military aid alone appears too high.
Syria has so far refused to send delegates to Washington to discuss a
U.S. document meant to serve as the basis for a peace treaty. In response,
Barak delayed sending his aides to Washington to review the document.
"Following consultations which took place today between the prime
minister's office and the American administration, the prime minister has
decided to postpone the trip,'' Barak's office said. "A new date for the
trip has yet to be set."
But the Israeli sources termed the current suspension of negotiations as
a recess rather than any sort of crisis. They said Syria will soon return to
the negotiating table.
Barak said in Stockholm on Wednesday that he thought negotiations
would resume within six weeks. This, despite new Syrian demands
that all the issues be discussed at one time.
Meanwhile, Syria and Lebanon have decided to boycott Middle East
multilateral
talks in Moscow on Feb. 1. Egypt, however, said it will participate.
Thursday, January 27, 2000
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