t Barak Got

Agenda For Waal

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's goals with
Arab neighbors are huge. He proposes, in 15
months, to have under way meaningful
processes to resolve more than 100 years of
Arab-Israeli conflict. The crucial steps:
• Sign a full peace treaty with the Palestinians,
one that maintains the majority of Jewish res-
idences on the West Bank, reaches an under-
standing on Jerusalem as Israel's united capital
and solves the ``right of return" issue for
Palestinian refugees.
• Negotiate a comprehensive peace treaty with
Syria that includes a demilitarized border,
understanding of water sharing and open trade.
• Bring Israeli troops home from southern
Lebanon, where they have been stationed since
1982 and are frequent targets of deadly attacks
by Hezbollah and anti-Oslo Palestinians.

Above, left to right:

The first couples of the United States and Israel
during a visit to Camp David July 15.
From left, Hillary Clinton, Ehud Barak,
Nava Barak and Bill Clinton.

Barak meets with members of the Conference
of Presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations in New York on Sunday.
From left, Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice
chairman; Ronald Lauder, chairman, and Barak.

Barak gives the thumbs up while greeting members
of the House International Relations committee on
Capitol Hill Tuesday as he concluded a series of
meetings with the Clinton administration and
members of Confess.

Jewish leaders were quick to note
Barak's decision to meet with the
Israel Policy Forum, a top pro-peace
process group, before mixing with
leaders of the Presidents Conference.
IPF, created in 1993 to support the
peace policies of then Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin, two years ago merged
with Project Nishma. That
Washington-based group specializes in
mobilizing Israeli military authorities
that argue that the peace process is in
Israel's security interests.
The IPF has increasingly tried to

I

sraeli Prim e Minister Ehud Barak's six-day )) visit to the United States
included numerous "getting to know you events, but there was some real
substance, as Well. Here's a brief rundown:

_

• Barak and President Clinton agreed on a "new partnership" aimed at producing a series of agreements in
the next 15 months — b _ efore the president leaves office. The partnership will include regular meetings
between the two leaders and intensified discussions between their security and diplomatic advisers.
• Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will travel to the region in early August to reinforce support for
revived talks. But the two leaders refused to divulge the details of their plan to revive negotiations.
• Clinton announced a Memorandum of Understanding confirming his intention to boost U.S. military aid
over 10 years, to a level of $2.4 billion. The MOU will also formalize the agreement between the two coun-
tries to phase out Israel's economic aid over the same period.
• The president also promised to start pressing Congress for the $1.2 billion promised to help Israel imple-
ment October's Wye Agreement. Included in the package, which must be approved by Congress, is money
to help pay for the redeployment of Israeli forces, assistance for helicopters, communications equipment and
munitions and a boost for Israel's counter-terrorism efforts.
• Secretary of State Albright will visit Damascus in early August to sound out Syrian President Hafez Assad's
peace overtures. Israeli officials said talks could, resume "in a matter of weeks," but they did not indicate
.
exactly how that might happen.
A
new
joint
task
force
will
explore
options
for
new
sources
of water for the parched region, and how the
•
United States can help. Water resources are expected to be a major roadblock to the upcoming permanent
status talks. The task force will report to Clinton and Barak by the end of the year
• A third Arrow battery will be funded. Tit Arrow anti-missile program, developed by Israel with American
financing, will be Israel's first line of defense against a new generation of Arab ballistic missiles. Also, the two
countries will expand collabora.tive efforts to develop new advanced anti-ballistic missile technologies.
• A Strategic Policy Planning Group will develop proposals for expanding Israel's deterrent capabilities.
Another new Memorandum of Understanding will accelerate the joint effort to prevent the acquisition of
weapons of mass destruction by terrorists.
• The first Israeli astronaut will travel with the Space Shuttle in 2000, "taking our partnership to new
heights, literally," Clinton said - Monday. The president announced a new working group linking NASA and
the Israel Space Agency to promote scientific research, educational activities and peaceful uses of space. I 1

position itself as an alternative to
the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee, the influential pro-Israel
lobby; Barak forces believe AIPAC
has been cool in support for the
peace process.
But at a meeting with a handful
of AIPAC leaders on Monday, Barak
repeated his message of Jewish unity,
making it clear that support for the
peace process should take prece-
dence over other. agendas.
The new Israeli leader, in meetings
with Jewish groups and on Capitol

Hill, "is trying to preempt the opposi-
tion," said Henry Seigman of the
Council on Foreign Affairs. "He's say-
ing, 'don't try to sandbag me as you
sandbagged Rabin.'"
At the same time, Barak sought to
reassure Jewish hardliners by restat-
ing his belief in a unified Jerusalem
as Israel's capital and promising that
Israel would not return to its 1967
borders. He also said that most West
Bank settlements will not be
removed in a final agreement with
the Palestinians.

While Barak tried to create good
will with AIPAC, that won't necessari-
ly change the dynamic on Capitol Hill
overnight, where lawmakers have
worked to stake out positions support-
ive of Israel that some say complicate
the peace process.
The Netanyahu government,
which had strained relations with
the Clinton administration, often
encouraged such initiatives. But
with Barak now in power, the equa-
tion has been altered and the defini-
dE
MISSION on page 24

Th

7/23
1999

Detroit Jewish News

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