Foreign Minister Shimon Peres' four-day visit to the United
States this week -- which started in New York -- is planned
to help restore Israel's media image, something that Peres
does very effectively. During his visit Peres was scheduled
to give no less then 12 interviews and press conferences to
the foreign press, and another 3 to US-based Israeli
correspondents.
This contrasts with the visit of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
who, while in the US in late March, had exactly two meetings
with American journalists, both closed-door affairs that
were not broadcast. He gave no live interviews.
One diplomatic official said of Peres, "He is the face that
goes over abroad." Peres, the source said, "is the good guy,
the one you want explaining Israel's position overseas."
Peres was scheduled to meet with former secretary of state
Henry Kissinger and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Peres
was expected to raise a number of issues with Annan,
including the fate of Israel's missing soldiers in Lebanon,
the situation in southern Lebanon, Palestinian attempts to
get the UN to send observer forces to the territories, and
Syria's bid to win a place on the UN Security Council.
The possibility that Syria will serve on the council from
2002 to the end of 2003 is likely to come up in talks with
former US ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke, as well as
with administration officials in Washington.
Diplomatic sources said that Israel has not yet drawn up its
position on the issue, and that although the minuses of
having Syria on the Security Council are obvious, there may
actually be some advantages as well.
First of all, one official said, it may force the Syrians to
"behave better," because the UN charter says that only
nations that seek peace can sit on the council. Also, it
could be used as a bargaining chip, with the US supporting
the Syrian candidacy if, for example, Damascus pledges not
to support Hizbullah in Lebanon.
And finally, if Israel wages a campaign against the Syrians,
and succeeds, it is not clear who will come in its place.
There is a distinct chance that the Asian regional group to
which Syria belongs would send a country like Iran or
Afghanistan in Syria's stead.
In Washington Peres was to meet President George W. Bush,
Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Adviser
Condoleezza Rice, leaders of the Congress and Senate, World
Bank President James Wolfensohn, former US special Middle
East envoy Dennis Ross, and the leadership of AIPAC.
According to reports in the Israeli press, one of Peres'
goals on his trip is to prevent Arafat from being invited to
Washington as long as the shooting continues. The reason
offered by Peres is that no prize must be given to terror.
Peres will present a list of points which he formulated with
Sharon, among them: 1) No negotiations under fire. 2) The
terror must totally cease. 3) A test period during which
Palestinian violence will cease is necessary. 4) Israel
rejects the Palestinian proposal for a cease fire of only
four weeks, after which political negotiations will be
renewed. The Palestinians must demonstrate that the cease
fire is a strategic change in approach and not just a
tactical halt in order to secure an invitation to Washington
for Arafat.
The final points are: 5) It is possible to reach a political
arrangement only after all of the already signed agreements
are first fully implemented. 6) No negotiations on freezing
the settlements.
