According to The Sunday Times, Israel's prime minister-elect, Ehud Barak, will push to offer Syria the Golan Heights in return for peace in an important step ending 50 years of hostility between the Jewish state and the Arab world.
As a part of a proposed comprehensive peace settlement, Israel would insist on demilitarized strips of land 15 miles wide on either side of the border, plus American and perhaps European troops manning key points on the Golan itself. Mr. Barak also wants an Israeli embassy in Damascus, along with full and friendly trade relations with Syria.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six Day War of June 1967. An important question remains: Can Israel successfully trade territory for peace? (Source: The Sunday Times [London].)
