HARD SELL from page 22
Golan to Israel proper. But it does not
include the cost of moving the 17,000
Israelis that currently live on the
Golan Heights.
Jewish officials familiar with the
request told JTA that the package is
divided into three key areas:
• Mobility costs: This area covers
moving existing bases on the Golan
and rearranging bases within Israel to
reflect the loss of the strategic heights.
It also deals with costs associated with
mobilizing Israel's civilian army in case
of an attack from the north.
• Compensation for loss of strategic
depth: To compensate for giving up its
position on the Golan, Israel wants
advanced satellite technology such as
the AWACS radar system, which
would provide it with an early warn-
ing of Syrian troop movements. The
Tomahawk cruise missiles also fall
under this category.
• Regional defense: Israeli officials
still have major concerns about Iran
and Iraq, which have not entered the
peace process and are still hostile to
the Jewish state. Israel wants to beef
up its missile and laser defense systems
to knock down Iranian and Iraqi mis-
siles.
Activists say it is too early to gauge
support a big aid package would have
in Congress, where members have
long been told that Israel cannot give
up the Golan Heights for security rea-
sons.
But at least one key lawmaker who
has bristled at foreign aid in the past
has indicated that he would support
military aid that would bolster Israel's
defenses.
Members of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, led by
Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Ala.), were in
Israel this week on a long-planned trip
to the region to discuss appropriations
issues for next year's budget. While the
trip is not unusual for lawmakers
involved in the appropriations process,
the group was expected to meet with
top defense officials to discuss the
details of the aid package Israel will
seek if a deal with Syria is reached.
Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.),
chairman of the House Appropriations
foreign operations subcommittee, told
the Forward that although he ques-
tions why Israel would decide to with-
draw from the Golan Heights, he
would support military aid to Israel,
but would oppose similar aid to Syria.
Callahan also told the paper that it
is unlikely that an aid request for a
peace deal would be rejected, saying
"the Israeli lobby is too strong to
deny."
❑
Beyond the lack of substantive
progress at the negotiations, the Israeli
side is concerned at the even slower
pace of "atmospheric" warming.
Levy said Sharaa "opened up a little"
as the conference wore on. But the fact
remains that there was no photographed
handshake between him and Barak, that
Sharaa answered no questions from the
Israeli media and that Syria has offered
no confidence-building gestures, such as
the return to Israel of the remains of Eli
Cohen, hanged in Damascus as an
Israeli spy more than 30 years ago.
Atmospherics are always important
in a diplomatic process. But they are
even more important in the current
process, which will ultimately have its
fate decided by millions of ordinary
Israelis conditioned for decades to see
Syria as an implacable foe opposed to
the Jewish state's very existence.
With no encouraging signs from Syria
as a counterbalance — and with the pro-
peace forces waiting for more progress in
the negotiations to mobilize their forces
— those opposed to a deal are vowing to
keep up the pressure on Barak.
The 100,000 demonstrators who
turned out Monday night included a
broad patchwork of Israelis — secular,
religious and immigrants alike.
Organizers had tried to keep the
rally as broad-based as possible — to
send the message that the Golan is
important to all of Israeli society.
Political representation on the podi-
um included not only members of the
opposition, but also two members of
Barak's own cabinet — Interior Minister
Natan Sharansky of Yisrael BiAliyah
and Housing Minister Yitzhak Levy, of
the National Religious Party.
Both ministers — members of the
previous. Likud government — have
vowed to bolt Barak's coalition if he
agrees to a full Israeli withdrawal from
the Golan.
Sources close to Barak said the rally
did not shake the prime minister.
Instead, they said, it had strengthened
his position in the negotiations since it
would prove how difficult it would be
for him to make significant concessions.
Cabinet Minister Haim Ramon
expressed confidence that once a corn-
prehensive accord is presented to the
Israeli people, the public mood will
change.
"Until now, the only thing people
are talking about is the withdrawal," he
said. "Nobody is aware of what we will
get if we withdraw," including security
and "comprehensive peace with the
Arab world." 111
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