Barak predicted when the talks started in December that agreement could come within months and showered Syrian president Hafez Assad with praise. But the Syrians walked out on those talks last month and many Israelis felt Barak's flattery had gone too far. The immediate problem here is a kind of Catch 22 about the order in which the topics will be discussed. Syrians do not want to offer anything until Israel agrees to a complete withdrawal from the Golan first. Israelis do not want to promise the Golan until Syria states what it will give up.
American mediators can serve here to bridge the gap.
For example, they could promise the Syrians that, if they return to negotiations, America would press Israel to return all the Golan. They could promise Israel that, in exchange for the Golan, America would keep an eye on the Syrian military and press Syria to open full relations with Israel. But, it could all still hinge on Barak's relations with people in the malls and coffee shops of Israel. He has promised to let them vote on any peace deals he initials. Referendum results could depend on Barak's credibility, which is suffering these days with his first political scandal.