Jerusalem, 11 June 2000
PM Barak: Assad's Death - End of an Era
(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)
At the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday),
11.6.2000, Prime Minister and Defense Ehud Barak said that the
death of Syrian President Assad marked the end of an era. He
pointed out that we are facing a new Middle East which we shall
have to study closely. The Prime Minister added that it is
difficult to predict how things will develop but said that it is
reasonable to assume that that which has prevailed in the past
will not necessarily hold in the future and that changes may be
expected in several areas.
Prime Minister Barak expressed understanding for the sorrow of
the Syrian people, emphasized that Israel has always striven to
reach a peace agreement with Syria and held contacts with it to
this effect over the past decade, and added that Israel will
continue working towards this goal while adhering to its vital
interests vis-a-vis the new leadership in Syria.
Prime Minister Barak added that Israel attaches great importance
to stability and quiet in Lebanon and along its border with Syria
and added that he expects Syria to take a similar approach. He
added that in the immediate term, it appears that the situation
will be stable.
Prime Minister Barak said that timing of the IDF withdrawal from
Lebanon may now be seen as especially propitious and added that
had it been postponed, it would have been more difficult to
achieve stability in southern Lebanon following the withdrawal.
He vigorously rejected claims to the effect that Assad's death
proves that it was not necessary to try to reach a peace
agreement with him and cited Egypt as an example of a country
where peaceful relations with it continued after the death of the
president with whom we had achieved peace.
Prime Minister Barak added that if we had not tried to reach a
settlement, we would never have escaped the feeling that we had
missed an historic opportunity and we would not have even been
able to implement UN Security Council Resolution #425 with world
support. He added that if we had not genuinely tried to conclude
an agreement with Syria, today we would be liable to find
ourselves in a situation in which the risk of a deterioration was
greater. Prime Minister Barak also noted that some benefit may
yet be derived from the fact that discussions were held.