UALITY CONSTRUCTION

RESIDENTIAL-COMMERCIAL

player. Israeli analysts point out
that Mr. Assad is the smartest of
all Middle East politicians and
has a razor-sharp focus. He might
change his tactics, they say, but
he never loses sight of his ulti-
mate strategy.
"Israelis are accustomed to
looking at issues in a three- or
four-term time frame, from one
election to the next," said one se-
nior Israeli analyst. "Assad looks
at issues in a 500-year time
frame. He was determined to
have Lebanon, but he was pre-
pared to wait 15 years until it
eventually fell into his lap as the
price for Syria's participation in
the Gulf War coalition.
"Time is not on his side now,
but he will still strike a hard bar-
gain. He knows that if the Pales-
tinian issue was at the core of the
Arab-Israeli conflict, Syria is es-
sential to peace. Unless he gets
his way, he can make life hell for
Israel, if not directly then through
the Hezbollah radicals who op-
erate under his control in
Lebanon, or through the political
rejectionists who are mostly
based in Damascus. He can also
seriously destabilize Jordan and

others who move ahead of him."
Whoever is writing the rules,
Mr. Assad is determined to
emerge from the process as the
leader of the Arab world — and
perceived as the real author of
the peace accords — which
means playing tough with Israel.
"He will be more Palestinian
than the Palestinians, more Jor-
danian than the Jordanians,"
said Moshe Maoz, professor of
Middle East history at the He-
brew University and biographer
of Mr. Assad.
According to a senior Arab
political journalist who knows
Syria well, Mr. Assad has come
to the conclusion that political
reality dictates that he must
strike a political deal, but the
journalist believes the Israelis
might be somewhat naive in be-
lieving Mr. Assad perceives con-
cepts like "peace" and "war" as
they do.
"I think Assad wants full
peace," said the journalist, "but I
also think that the peace he
wants with Israel — and with
Jordan and the Palestinians, for
that matter — is the sort of peace
he has with Lebanon." CI

Military: Golan
Presence Needed

The Israeli military brass is not,
apparently, as sanguine as Is-
rael's political leaders about with-
drawal from the Golan Heights
in the event of a settlement with
Syria.
According to Chief of Staff
Ehud Barak, Israel will need
to maintain a presence on
the Golan Heights even after
a full peace agreement is
achieved.

DESIGN INRECON

1-800-421-4141

Speaking to Israel reporters
in Washington where he
was meeting senior Pentagon
officials, Mr. Barak said
that "from a professional
military point of view, as long as
there is no peace we need every
meter of the Golan Heights —
and also in a time of peace we
had better stay on the Golan
Heights."

—

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
THE REMODELING INDUSTRY

Regional

`CONTRACTOR of the YEAR"

BARRIER FREE DESIGN

wehty five years

ago, Harry and $ara
Berlin dreanted of a
secHre and dignified
Mt- Hie for their
dallghte4 Margaret,

D.D

Lebanon Also
Close To Deal?

Lebanon, now a Syrian puppet period of time."
Israel is believed to have pro-
and, therefore, a postscript to the
peace process, also is said to be posed a complete pull-out from
close to an "interim agreement" the security zone in south
with Israel, having secured ap- Lebanon after nine months if
proval from Damascus for the ini- the Lebanese central government
can demonstrate its ability to en-
tiative.
According to Israeli sources, sure peace and tranquility on Is-
"a series of messages" have rael's northern border for six
reached Jerusalem from autho- months.
In their talks, the Lebanese ap-
rized officials in the Lebanese
government, as well as from pear to have adopted the role of
direct contacts in Europe a "stalking horse" for Damascus,
between Israeli and Lebanese of- emphasizing the need for Israel
to reach an accord with Syria as
ficials.
The messages are understoo( only Syria could halt attacks by
to express Lebanon's willing- the Hezbollah extremists in the
ness to reach an agreement south.
—D.D.
with Israel "within a short

BUILD

Their dream, along with that
of other parents of children
with developmental disabili-
ties, became the JARC of
to.day.za. Margaret now lives
in the Blumberg Home in
Pleasant Ridge and her life is
full. To fulfill dreams of others
in need, the Harry and Sara
Berlin Home in Bloomfield
Township, JARC's sixteenth,
opened earlier this year. 4,
You, too, can help fulfill
dreams. << Send a $25 Silver
Anniversary JARC tribute.4,
Attend our annual fundraiser.
Become a JARC volunteer.

A Jewish Association for Residential Care for persons with developmental disabilities
28366 Franklin Road, Southfield, Michigan 48034

Call us at (810) 352-5272

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