Indeed, the Likud Party and even some members of Mr. Rabin's own Labor Party don't like the shape of the impending deal with Damascus. They are likely to put up a strenuous opposition. That's where U.S. troops come in. Hoping to make the deal more acceptable to the Israeli electorate, Mr. Rabin has raised the notion of placing an American force on the Golan Heights to monitor the agreement with Syria. The Assad regime likes this idea as well, and the Clinton administration has indicated it is ready to do its part.
Trouble is, the American people appear to be in no mood for such a commitment.
In a survey of 1,000 voters, the polling firm of Fabrizio, McLaughlin and Associates found that by a ratio of 3.6 to 1, Americans dislike the idea of sending troops to the Golan Heights. These strong opinions appear to be in synchrony with the new, Republican Congress. This is known to be the view of Jesse Helms, the presumptive chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and it is likely to be that of Benjamin Gilman, his counterpart in the House. The message is clear. Messrs. Clinton, Rabin and Assad have to make a very compelling case if they are to get their way and station American troops between Israel and Syria.