The Syrian news agency says the Arab-Israeli MP, Azmi Bishara, has discussed the peace process with the Syrian Foreign Minister, Farouk al-Sharaa.

Mr Bishara has already met the Syrian Vice-President and the leaders of two left-wing PLO groups, during his three day visit.

In the summer a delegation of Israeli Arabs, including several parliamentarians, visited the Syrian President, Hafez-al-Assad, causing almost universal condemnation among Jewish Israelis.

Wednesday was Mr Bishara's last day in Syria before leaving for Beirut where he hopes to become the first Israeli MP to enter Lebanon.

This has been a controversial visit as far as Jewish - and many Arab - Israelis are concerned.

Mr Bishara has met several top-level officials in Syria - a country Israel is still officially at war with - and the leaders of two Palestinian groups not known for their support for the Oslo peace process, George Habash of the PLFP and Nayaf Hawatmeh of the DFPL.

Last summer's visit by 50 Palestinian Israeli citizens to Syria outraged both the left and right wings of Jewish public opinion.

There was particular offence when Israeli television showed not one of the 50 Arab Israelis in the delegation responding when a Syrian official said Israel would burn.

At the time Mr Bishara said he would have reacted strongly if he had been there but Israeli commentators are now wondering what he could possibly have had to say to Mr Habash, who is still seen by almost all Jewish Israelis as a terrorist.

Mr Bishara is a Communist MP who is well regarded - at least by the Jewish Israeli left.

He is seen as independent, sharp-minded and personable.

But many left-wingers were embarrassed by his trip to Damascus and among Palestinian Israelis there has been a split as to whether the visit was of any use.

Israeli Arabs - who form 18 per cent of the population - have often said their community could be a bridge between Israel and the Arab states.

But as far as Jewish opinion goes, if Mr Bishara's visit has had any successes in bridge-building, the benefits are negligiblre and he has renewed mistrust of Israel's Arab citizens.
 

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