Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 3, 1993 TAG: 9305030027
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: JERUSALEM LENGTH: Medium
The statement by Minister of Police Moshe Shahal breaks with the position of his ruling Labor Party, which has previously committed itself to keep at least part of the territory. "If there will be a need to choose between the Golan Heights, and true and stable peace, peace should be chosen," Shahal was quoted as telling the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday.
The Syrians have demanded a total Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights in exchange for peace. During the Middle East peace talks, Israel has sought to clarify what type of peace Syria envisioned.
Shahal, an adviser to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, defined peace with Syria as open borders and an exchange of ambassadors.
During the peace talks, which resumed last week in Washington, Israel is also negotiating with Palestinians over autonomy in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel has offered partial autonomy to the territories.
An Israeli newspaper reported Sunday that Arabs from east Jerusalem would be allowed to vote in elections held as part of such an autonomy agreement.
But the newspaper, Haaretz, said east Jerusalem Arabs would be barred from running as candidates. Haaretz said that the agreement came during background talks with the United States at the peace talks.
Jerusalem is a sensitive issue for both sides. Israel claims the entire city as its capital. But Palestinians consider east Jerusalem occupied territory. East Jerusalem, which contains the old city and largely Arab neighborhoods, was captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
Haaretz reported that Israel also agreed to international supervision of elections in the occupied territories. In the past, Israel insisted that its own military oversee the ballot boxes, a position Palestinians opposed.
by CNB