THE GOLAN HEIGHTS: WARY OF WAR

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It wasn't exactly a breakthrough, but by the standards of the moribund negotiations between Israel and Syria, it was still an important advance. Since 1948 the two countries have officially been at war, but starting in October 1991, they have engaged in off-and-on discussions of making peace. Last week, with the assistance of the U.S., the parties agreed to a common set of principles for the negotiations, which will resume in Washington in late June after a hiatus of six months. Time is running short for a deal since both Israel and the U.S. are heading into election periods, so the State Department intensified its efforts to find some common ground. Israeli sources present a more optimistic picture of the understanding than do other sources, but certain matters do appear to have been resolved.

The central issue is the fate of the Golan Heights, the strategic plateau that Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 war. Israel has agreed to withdraw, and according to reports from Israeli officials, the two sides for the first time have an implicit understanding that the withdrawal will be total. The two sides have accepted the principle of "equality" of security arrangements on and around the Golan. Both countries, for instance, would remove their armed forces from the border region. However, the Syrians are demanding that the demilitarization be symmetrical; Israel insists that it cannot afford to pull back as far as Syria, since the Syrians, in possession of the Heights, would have an enormous topological advantage in the event of a surprise attack. The countries have considered asking the U.S. to oversee an accord, which would make it more likely that American peace monitors would be put in place on the Heights. There is agreement that the Israeli withdrawal would take place gradually. Syria wants it completed in something close to 11Ú2 years, while Israel is asking for three.

Diplomatic sources are also suggesting that Syrian President Hafez Assad has agreed to begin normalizing relations with Israel-establishing embassies, opening up trade and so on-before the Israeli retreat from the Golan is complete; if true, this would be a substantial concession. The list of major differences is still long. Israel, for instance, wants to continue to maintain early-warning stations on the Golan, and Syria flatly refuses. But at least the two countries are on speaking terms again.

--L.B.