Israel and Syria will resume negotiations on a peace settlement early next year following two-days of talks here guided by President Clinton.
Flanked by the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ehud Barak, and the Syrian Foreign Minister, Mr Farouk al-Shara, the President said the talks would resume on January 3rd near Washington. "We are witnessing a new beginning in the effort to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East," Mr Clinton said. "We can truly set our sights on a new and different Middle East."
I spite of a frosty start on Wednesday when the Israeli and Syrian negotiators refused to shake hands in public after the opening statements, the talks are said to have gone reasonably well behind closed doors.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ehud Barak, and the Syrian Foreign Minister, Mr Farouk al-Shara, later shook hands when out of sight of photographers. The Syrian minister was said to want to avoid any hand-shake pictures at the resumption of talks which were interrupted in 1996. This is the first time they have taken place at such a high level.
The US imposed a strict media black-out while the talks took place at Blair House, the official guest-house across the street from the White House. Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, was present for these sessions.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr David Levy, told Israeli army radio from Washington that there was some anger among Israeli and US officials at Mr Shara's speech at the opening ceremony listing Syria's grievances while also expressing readiness to negotiate an historic agreement. But after the two men retired into the White House with President Clinton "the ice melted and business-like discussions began," Mr Levy said. Mr Levy said that there was some laughter and there were "no conditions, no dictates and no anger either."
The main item in the talks is an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights in return for guarantees on security. If the talks are successful they are expected to result also in a peace settlement between Israel and Lebanon where there is a large Syrian army presence.
The Hezbollah fundamentalist Islamic movement active in southern Lebanon frequently clashes with the Israeli-backed militia which controls a buffer zone.
According to a senior Israeli official attending the Syrian-Israeli peace talks, Mr Shara has pledged that Damascus will rein in "the enemies of peace" in Lebanon in the context of an agreement with Israel. Mr Barak is said to have outlined three possibilities for proceeding with the talks: a declaration of principles, a more concrete framework agreement, or a full-fledged peace accord.
Mr Shara said yesterday when leaving his hotel for the final session that there would not be a declaration of principles at this time.
US officials have said that they do not rule out the sending of American troops for peace-keeping on the Golan if it would help to bring about an agreement. US economic aid will also be needed to re-locate the 18,000 Israeli settlers on the Golan.