"Land for peace" in 1948, like its Bush administration variation today, was based not on unambiguous Arab promises to concludepeace with Israel, but on a priori speculations by Western diplomats about which Jewish concessions would allow the Arabs to make peace.
American and Israeli officials say they expect U.S. troops to serve as peacekeepers or monitors on the Golan Heights in the event Israel and Syria conclude a peace agreement.
But if the projections hold up, the defeat would be a stinging rebuke to Barak who warned that Sharon could lead Israel into a war and pleaded with voters to allow him to conclude a peace deal with the Palestinians.
As soon as possible, but not later than the third year after the beginning of the transitional period, negotiations will take place to determine the final status of the West Bank and Gaza and its relationship with its neighbours and to conclude a peace treaty between Israel and Jordan by the end of the transitional period.
Israel will probably conclude that if such entrenched Arab regimes can fall, making peace with a deeply divided Palestinian movement is anything but a sure bet.