Barak suffers blow with preliminary approval of Golan bill
Wednesday, 1 March 2000 17:27
The Israeli parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill on procedures for a national referendum that could potentially block the return of the occupied Golan Heights to Syria. The result is a blow to the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who opposed the bill.
The bill, presented by a right wing legislator, would require a special majority of all registered Israeli voters in a referendum to approve handing back the occupied Golan Heights to Syria as opposed to a simple majority of votes cast. Polls in Israel predict a close vote and therefore a bill requiring a special majority would almost certainly mean a rejection in a referendum vote of a peace agreement with Syria.
Although today's vote was only on a preliminary reading of the bill, the defeat is a serious blow to Ehud Barak. Three of the six parties in the Government coalition sided with the opposition. Mr Barak called the defeat a parliamentary trick and said that the people will determine the outcome of the peace process by a simple majority. Those backing the bill know that almost 20 per cent of the Israeli population are Arabs, and therefore a special majority clause will neutralise the Arab vote in favour of returning the occupied Golan Heights.
Meanwhile, five Israeli soldiers were killed in Lebanon when a bomb was detonated beside their jeep. The vehicle was then attacked by machine gun fire. In a separate incident three members of the South Lebanon army were wounded in a mortar attack in the west of the Israeli occupation zone. Hizbollah guerrillas have claimed responsibility for both attacks.
- 6.01 News: Five Israeli soldiers shot
