Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 3, 1991 TAG: 9103030064
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Israel occupied the Golan Heights in the 1967 war and annexed the area in 1981. The official, calling it an "interesting area for diplomacy," said a deal between Syria and Israel "ought to be potentially doable."
The PLO's disfavor among the gulf states and in Egypt could be an avenue to explore in solving the Palestinian conflict, the official said.
In the war's aftermath, many moderate Arab states have come to a conclusion similar to Israel's about PLO leader Yasser Arafat, who sided with Iraq. This "opens up some interesting avenues to explore."
These are two ideas taking shape as the administration embarks on a postwar effort to turn the defeat of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein into lasting regional stability and open the way to peace between Israel and its Arab enemies.
The United States is seizing on opportunities created by the allied coalition's victory over Iraq that may not last, according to the official and outside analysts:
Defeat of the strongest country in the region that was a force for instability.
The fact that Israel and moderate Arab states found themselves on the same side of the conflict.
Realization in Israel, following missile attacks from hundreds of miles away, that territory is not synonymous with security.
Proof that the United States is a dependable ally.
U.S.-Soviet cooperation.
One obstacle, the official said, is that hostility between the Palestinians and Israelis is deeper than ever.
Policy-makers firmly hold the view that peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors and resolution of the Palestinian conflict must progress simultaneously. Israel wants state-to-state talks first; for Arab states, in part because of domestic pressure, the plight of Palestinians is a top priority.
Syria and Saudi Arabia could be key, according to sources familiar with administration planning.
The United States has been deepening its dialogue with Syria, a former pariah because of its sponsorship of terrorism. President Hafez Assad showed himself to be a reliable partner in the gulf crisis.
While Syria harbors a deep distrust of Israel, it has learned how to live next door and could make "a calculated acceptance" of the Jewish state's existence in return for territory.
The Golan Heights, while strategically important, has never been "theologically" crucial to Israel, the senior official said.
Saudi Arabia has crossed some crucial thresholds in the gulf conflict, starting with its acceptance of Western troops on its soil, according to one source familiar with administration thinking. As a result, it may now be willing to assert a leadership role in the region rather than basing its actions on Arab consensus.
One role it could play is to foster development of new leadership among the Palestinians as an alternative to the PLO that would be more acceptable to Israel as a negotiating partner, this source said.
by CNB