Israel plans lobbying campaign to fund Syrian accord

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.