Barak, left, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Clinton and and al-Sharaa spent Sunday dinner discussing a seven-page document Clinton gave the two sides earlier in the talks

January 9, 2000
Web posted at: 10:59 p.m. EST (0359 GMT)

In this story: Barak tours Civil War site with Albright Clinton working paper could prove crucial Rubin: Tough decisions will take time RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

SHEPHERDSTOWN, West Virginia (CNN) -- President Bill Clinton finished another day of mediation in top-level peace talks between Israel and Syria as Israel's prime minister and Syria's foreign minister prepared to go home Monday.

Clinton's night ended after a 2 1/2-hour Sunday dinner meeting among the president, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al- Sharaa. The dinner meeting centered around a seven-page document the President gave the two sides on Friday.

VIDEO CNN's Walter Rodgers sums up the meetings. (January 10) QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     MESSAGE BOARD Mideast peace

"The president felt there was a very good and serious exchange of views. All issues came up at the dinner," State Department Spokesman James Rubin said early Monday.

The schedule for Monday was unclear. Some suggested Clinton might make another appearance at Shepherdstown, but "The way things ended, it doesn't look like it," Rubin said.

Clinton returned to the White House about midnight Sunday after separate talks with Barak and al-Sharaa. There was no immediate response from the Syrians or the Israelis to Sunday's meetings, but the two Mideast leaders have reportedly agreed on little during six days of talks in West Virginia.

"This is an ongoing process. The issues are difficult and complex and the president feels it's important to bring the leaders together," White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said.

A Syrian official called the Sunday evening talks about the document "crucial." Nevertheless, the two sides appeared to be wrapping up their current round of negotiations with little settled.

Barak has indicated he will return home Monday afternoon. Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy left the talks Sunday for Israel and then Morocco, where he will meet King Mohammad on Wednesday. Al-Sharaa plans to leave for Syria on Monday or Tuesday.

Barak, speaking publicly for the first time on the negotiations, said Sunday that the two sides face a "tough diplomatic battle. It is impossible to predict how long it will last or the results."

Barak tours Civil War site with Albright

"We will do everything in the deliberations to protect Israel's security and vital interest," added the premier, touring the Antietam national Battlefield, a Civil War site in Sharpsburg, Maryland, with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

After a daylong pause for religious observances, Syrian and Israeli negotiators resumed formal discussions Sunday morning at a secluded conference center in Shepherdstown.

The opening discussion concerned water, said Syrian sources. Talks later in the day were expected to concern borders, normalization of relations and security.

The two sides took a break Friday afternoon for the Israelis to observe the Jewish Sabbath and the Syrians to celebrate Eid al Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan.

Clinton working paper could prove crucial

Clinton, who has intervened in the negotiations numerous times, earlier Friday presented Barak and al-Sharaa with a working paper that reportedly summarizes the current positions of the two sides.

Syrian sources told CNN they are pleased with the document because it puts into writing what has been discussed and gives them a potential reference point should misunderstandings arise.

An Israeli Cabinet minister in Jerusalem agreed. "I think it is very important," said Shlomo Ben-Ami of the document. "This is the first time we have had such a paper that maps in such a clear way the agreements and the differences between the parties. So this is a point from where we can start making real progress."

The document represents a framework for the core issues that need to be resolved, both sides said. They include mutual security arrangements, water and the normalization of ties between the two countries in addition to perhaps the most crucial issue; the scope and timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights. The area is a strategic border region.

Rubin: Tough decisions will take time

Rubin said the document could eventually become the basis for a "core agreement" between the two sides.

But he said Syria and Israel still faced "enormous decisions" and "we don't expect those decisions to be made in a matter of days."

Barak and al-Sharaa tentatively plan to leave Monday for their homelands, but their negotiating teams are expected to continue working throughout the week before returning home.

The two sides reportedly have yet to agree on which issues to discuss first.

The Syrians want to talk about the withdrawal from the Golan Heights. They say they are looking for a commitment from the Israelis on how much of the Golan the Israelis plan to return. The Syrians want the return of the Golan to the June 4, 1967 border.

But the Israelis want to talk about security arrangements, normalization of ties and water before revealing how much of the Golan they are prepared to return.

The United States has proposed simultaneous meetings on all issues.

Correspondent Andrea Koppel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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