|
|
March 3, 2000/26 Adar 1, 5760, Vol. 52, No.26
Knesset vote may doom Israel, Syria agreement Israel, Syria settlement
NAOMI SEGAL
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Ehud Barak, Israeli Prime Minister, is determined to forge ahead with his troubled peace process despite a dramatic blow from the Knesset.
The Israeli Knesset on Wednesday passed a bill that could kill the chances of a peace deal with Syria.
The bill requires that a referendum by Israelis on a withdrawal from the Golan Heights be approved by more than 50 percent of all eligible voters rather than by the more easily attainable majority of those who actually vote.
Barak had pledged to hold the referendum when and if he reaches a final peace deal with Damascus.
"No parliamentary trick will block the will of the Israeli people," Barak told a group of Jewish journalists in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Wednesday's vote - 60-53, with one abstention - raised doubts about the stability of Barak's government and his ability to deliver on the promises he makes when and if the now-suspended negotiations with Syria resume.
If passed, the bill would mean that if 80 percent of the electorate turns out to vote in the referendum, more than 60 percent of the voters would have to approve it for the peace treaty to go into effect.
Meanwhile, Israeli and American officials are denying that a date has been set for a resumption of Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations. The statements follow reports in the Arab media of Syrian optimism about renewing talks.
A peace treaty with Syria has to go through three stages: Cabinet approval, passage by 61 of the 120 Knesset members and the referendum.
The legislation must still pass additional Knesset votes and two committees before becoming law. That process can take months, and the bill may never reach that stage.
|
