The New York Times

Thursday, December 9, 1999

Two Steps Forward in the Mideast

The pace of Mideast peacemaking quickened this week, improving the chances that Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel can meet his ambitious goal of negotiating agreements with the Palestinians and Syria within the next year. On Monday Mr. Barak wisely removed a major obstacle to progress with the Palestinians by temporarily freezing most new construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Then, yesterday, President Clinton announced that direct peace talks between Israel and Syria would resume in Washington next week, picking up where they broke off in 1996.

The issues to be resolved with Syria -- withdrawal in the Golan Heights, security guarantees for Israel and the establishment of normal relations -- are somewhat more straightforward than those dividing Israel and the Palestinians. Hard negotiating lies ahead. But one of the biggest difficulties had been getting the two sides to speak to each other again, and that now appears to have been overcome.

The settlement freeze brings Israel close to the "time-out" on settlement construction long urged by Washington. Construction of completely new settlements was suspended several years ago. Now most expansion of existing settlements will be halted as well. What is still unclear is whether Mr. Barak's new freeze will be extended to include projects that have already been approved but where construction has not yet begun. It would be best if these were also suspended.

There are now some 200,000 Jewish settlers and nearly two million Palestinians in the West Bank. Mr. Barak has tried to steer between pressures from settlers and the demands of Palestinian negotiators. Broad Israeli support is needed for any eventual peace agreement. But the settlers cannot have a veto over Israel's policies. Mr. Barak has assured the settlers that many of their communities will remain under Israeli sovereignty after a peace agreement. In light of that promise, it is reasonable for the Palestinians to ask that settlements not be expanded while the agreement is being negotiated.

Since Mr. Barak took office in July he has authorized new housing in settlements at a faster pace than his predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, did. Just last week 500 new housing units were approved. All these permits were granted for the stated purpose of accommodating population growth within settler communities. Those expansion needs have been met. Priority must now go to creating the best atmosphere for peacemaking by declaring a total freeze on settlement construction.