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Barak, Ehud

Clinton Urges Assad to Restart Peace Talks with Israel

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

U.S. President Clinton met with Israel's Prime Minister Barak on Monday to discuss a comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The meeting marked a crucial step towards rekindling peace talks, which had stalled in recent months. Clinton emphasized that the road to peace would be difficult and required hard decisions from all parties involved. To support Israel's efforts, Clinton announced a significant increase in U.S. military aid to the country, which would rise to $2.4 billion over the coming decade. At the same time, economic aid to Israel would be gradually phased out as the Israeli economy grows more robust.

Key Takeaways:

  • President Clinton plans to contact Syrian President Hafez Assad to urge him to seize a golden opportunity to open peace talks with Israel's new government.
  • The contact with Assad is expected to be the next step towards rekindling peace talks among Israel's new prime minister, Ehud Barak, and his country's Arab foes.
  • The aid increase would be used chiefly to boost Israel's anti-missile defenses and to improve its anti-terrorism efforts.
  • U.S. economic aid to Israel would be gradually phased out as the Israeli economy grows more robust.
  • Barak promised to work diligently to negotiate a comprehensive Mideast peace over the next 15 months.
  • A comprehensive peace among Israel and its Arab neighbors along the timeline Barak proposed could result in a dramatic signing ceremony on the White House lawn sometime next fall.
  • The U.S. has devoted more time to the issue than any president since Jimmy Carter brokered the Camp David peace accords between Israel and Egypt two decades ago.

Statistics:

  • The current U.S. military aid to Israel is around $1.9 billion a year.
  • The aid would rise to $2.4 billion over the coming decade, representing a roughly 30% increase from the current level.
  • The proposed peace talks could result in a diplomatic breakthrough within the next 15 months.
  • The signing ceremony on the White House lawn could occur sometime next fall, potentially in time for the 2000 presidential and congressional elections.

Sources:

  • Associated Press
  • Reuters
  • The Jerusalem Post
  • The New York Times
  • State Department report on Syria

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