VOL. XXXIX

No. 20

12 February 1996

The Political Scene

US Secretary of State Warren Christopher's latest visit to the region has been overshadowed by mounting evidence that Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres intends to call early elections, which cannot have helped Mr. Christopher much in persuading the Syrians to return to the negotiating table on 26 February. Israel's main opposition party, Likud, is preparing for the elections by allying itself with Tsomet, a smaller and even more...