his Week

The China Shadow

Israel's planned
weapons sales
to China cloud
Barak visit to
Washington.

SHARON SAIvIBER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

-

Washington

El

espite friction over Israeli sales of military
technology to China, President Bill
Clinton had a "good, productive, serious
discussion" with Israeli Prime Minister
Barak this week.
Clinton said he feels encouraged that there is
renewed energy in the Israeli-Palestinian peace
process.
"We've solved everything," Clinton announced
jokingly at the end of a nearly four-hour Tuesday,
April 11, session with Barak that also dealt with the
planned Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and stalled
peace talks with Syria.
Barak offered a "variety of ideas" about how to
move the Palestinian talks forward that Clinton will
discuss with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser
Arafat at a meeting next week, a senior administra-
tion official said.
While the Barak-Clinton meeting focused on
negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians,
another hot topic was Israel's sales of weapons sys-
tems to China, including the Phalcon early-warning
radar system.
U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen recently
pressed Barak to cancel plans to sell the systems.
Cohen said publicly that it was "counterproductive"
to the region, especially with escalating tensions
between China and Taiwan.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak answers a question posed by reporters in the White House Rose Garden just
prior to his meeting with President Bill Clinton, on April 11. Clinton said he would try in their meeting to
energize the peace process, particularly the ongoing talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

House appropriations subcommittee, has said he
would block $250 million in foreign aid to Israel if
the sale goes through.

Two Scenarios

Mending Fences

J11

4/14
2000

26

Senators have written a letter to Barak expressing
concern over the deal with China, according to the
Israeli media.
There is speculation that Barak may have used
this trip to practice some damage control.
Barak called Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Sen.
Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) to discuss several issues,
including the sale.
Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.), chairman of the

Contrary to prior media reports, which implied that
U.S. opposition to the deal was new, a spokesman
for the Defense Department said the United States
has consistently voiced its opposition to the sale
since 1996.
However, an Israeli official said that although
some concern was raised by the United States during
the early stages of the deal, the level of opposition is
much higher now. Israel told the United States
about the sale at the outset, though it was not

required to because no U.S. technology was
involved.
Israel's deputy defense minister, Ephraim Sneh,
said Wednesday that Israel would honor its contract
to deliver technology to China, despite pressure
from the United States, but would "take account" of
American sensitivity with regard to additional deliv-
eries.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin arrived in Israel
on Wednesday, April 12, for a six-day visit.
Tuesday's meeting was the first opportunity that
Clinton and Barak have had since the
Shepherdstown, W.Va., negotiations. National
Security Adviser Sandy Berger and Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright also met with Barak earlier on
Tuesday.

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