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Q The talks recessed yesterday in Shepherdstown. Do you have anything to add on how you will be in touch with the parties and what you hope to accomplish in this hiatus and when you'll have an idea of where the next round is? MR. RUBIN: Other than saying that we're going to be in touch with the parties and that there will be some clarification sought and contacts made between the United States and Syria and the Israelis, I don't have anything new to offer at this time. Q Will you be changing the document as you receive comments? MR. RUBIN: Well, I think it's fair to say that we will take on board comments and clarifications. To what extent that we feel that means we ought to change it depends on the comment and the clarification. I don't want to prejudge that yet. Q Are you surprised by the opposition to the notion of returning the Golan Heights which has come up in Israel since the Prime Minister returned? MR. RUBIN: Let me say this: We understand that Israel is a democracy, and in a democracy those-for and those-against will be heard. That's the beauty of a democracy. It's one of the great aspects of Israel's democracy. They have a thriving democracy where the supporters and the opponents of particular issues can speak their mind, unlike other countries I've talked about today. We recognize that this is an extraordinarily difficult issue for Israel, and that they are going to have to make a national decision about how to proceed if an agreement is reached. Prime Minister Barak has been Quite clear on that. We believe that we cannot urge the parties to go faster in pursuing this agreement than they are comfortable with, that it's their decision; they are the ones that are going to have to make the decision as to whether to make the essential decisions to get an agreement. If, at the end of the day, the reasons are not compelling enough for them and the arrangements are not compelling enough for them, they will not make those decisions. If they do make them, then the Israelis will debate it, and they will decide through a national referendum. We always understood that the Golan Heights issue was an issue that raised a lot of serious debate on both sides, so I think it would be wrong to say that we're surprised by the fact that there is opposition. So we will have to see how that opposition unfolds in the coming days and weeks as Prime Minister Barak makes his decision on his time frame for what is necessary to achieve a peace that will meet Israel's needs. Ultimately, it's Israel that has to judge its needs. We can't make these decisions for them. We can't push them to make decisions that they believe will be against their interest. We wouldn't want to do that. So they will have to make those decisions. If the agreement is reached and it is compelling enough, then the Israelis will support it. That's the objective that I think our role envisages. Q Jamie, Yasser Arafat was a little upset that he was not part of the talks. What is the future now about his-- MR. RUBIN: I'm not sure he would want you to be his spokesman. I didn't hear any upsetness on his part. Q What he said was that because of these talks maybe the Palestinian talks are left behind? MR. RUBIN: Yes, on that issue, Chairman Arafat will be here on the 20th of January, and President Clinton and the Secretary will have an opportunity to talk to him. I think what last week showed us is that you can be on the right track on the Syrian track and be on the right track on the Palestinian track. Not only did we develop a working plan and work through the issues on the Syria track but, meanwhile, the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves, without a lot of American intervention, overcame remaining disagreements in the respect to implementation to the Sharm el Sheik agreement. So this is a happy problem we have to try to manage both the movement forward on the Israeli-Syrian track and the Israel-Palestinian track. It's a problem that we think we can happily work through. Q But as for terrorism going on in the area, where do we stand on that? And have the Syrians have denounced terrorism, or not? MR. RUBIN: Well, Syria remains on the U.S. terrorism list. We continue to be concerned about the opponents of peace trying to kill the goals of the majorities of people in the region who want to see peace for their people, for their families, and allow the region an opportunity to thrive economically and politically. We remain concerned and vigilant in that area. [end of document] Remarks Index | Near Eastern Affairs | Department of State | Secretary of State |
