Clinton administration has big plans for Israel's Barak

The United States has high expectations of Ehud Barak, the Israeli favorite for prime minister.

U.S. diplomatic sources said Clinton administration and State Department officials have drafted plans to begin multi-track peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and Israel and Syria. They said Washington will press for accelerated talks so that peace agreements can be signed while President Bill Clinton is still in office.

Clinton is scheduled to step down in January 2001.

"The expectations from Barak are similar to those the United States had of Yitzhak Rabin when he was elected in 1992," a U.S. diplomatic source said. "At least in the initial stage, there will be a big push to move things forward on both the Israeli-Palestinian and the Israeli-Syrian tracks."

Barak leads Likud incumbent Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu by up to 17 points in the latest polls. Some pollsters assert that Barak could receive the required 50 percent of the vote in Monday's balloting. If the 50 percent target is not achieved, a second round is scheduled for May 31.

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told the American Jewish Committee that Washington intends to press for accelerated negotiations with the Palestinians after a winner emerges from the Israeli elections.

"Once the elections are over, we will urge, without any further delay, implementation of all outstanding Wye obligations by both sides," Ms. Albright added. "We will also seek to resume the final status negotiations with the objective of completing them within one year. We will be prepared, in addition, to undertake a new effort to make progress on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks."

Sources in the Clinton administration said its efforts to accelerate peace talks will not be shelved should Netanyahu be reelected.

U.S. government sources said the administration is prepared to demonstrate generosity to Barak. They said this could include a decision to allow a congressional effort to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, $1.2 billion in additional defense funds in connection with the Wye River accords and the release of Jonathan Pollard, sentenced to life in prison for spying on Israel.

Some U.S. aides, however, involved in the Middle East planning are skeptical whether Barak will agree to simultaneous peace talks. These aides, including State Department peace talks coordinator Dennis Ross, assess that Barak will insist on focusing on the Palestinian track.

These aides have urged senior senior White House and State Department officials not to place too high hopes on Barak. They said although Barak will not be confrontational he will be more stubborn than Rabin.

Unlike Rabin, the aides said, Barak will probably be less affected by the advice of his colleagues. They said Barak remains deeply suspicious of such Labor Party colleagues as Yossi Beilin, an architect of the 1993 Oslo peace process.

The result, they said, is that the U.S. administration, which badly wants progress in the peace talks, will become quickly frustrated. "The honeymoon with Barak will probably be a short one," a U.S. diplomatic source said. "Bill Clinton wants to complete the Middle East peace process during his presidency and this will lead to pressure."

Clinton will have in former Prime Minister Shimon Peres an ally in any Barak goverment, the U.S. sources said. The sources expect Peres to be given a ministry that will be responsible for multilateral talks. But Peres will seek to influence and direct Israel's foreign policy.

Peres has already urged any new Israeli government to wrap up Middle East talks during the Clinton administration, saying the president is committed to achieving a peace agreement.

Sources in Barak's inner circle said they are aware of U.S. expectations in case their candidate wins. They said they could not predict Barak's response.

"Barak is somebody who is resistant to advice," one source said. "He listens politely but honestly believes he knows better than anybody. This could prove to be a problem."