Israel's Labor party has launched its campaign Sunday morning for a "yes" vote in a nationwide referendum on peace with Syria.

The referendum will be held after Israel signs its peace treaty with Syria. Cabinet Justice Minister Yossi Beilin is preparing a law on this referendum and the bill will be presented to the Knesset (parliament) soon.

Since Sunday morning, young Laborites started their campaign at the nation's highways and road junctions, offering stickers and fliers and posting banners in favor of a peace deal with Damascus. The initial slogan for the campaign is "Israel votes yes for peace."

According a Labor party source, Labor party Secretary-General Raanan Cohen will issue a tender for a public relations company to head the publicity campaign, while former Labor Knesset member Yona Yahav will be in charge of the build-up to any vote on a peace package with Syria.

As announced by US President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Al-Sharaa will meet in Washington next Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the resumption of their peace talks which stalled in 1996.

The Israeli-Syrian peace talks will center on Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights, which it occupied in the 1967 Middle East War, water, security arrangement and bilateral relations between the two countries.

Israeli government officials said that much of the future peace talks has been mapped out and a final peace deal could be signed in a matter of months.

Israel's withdrawal from the Golan has been a issue of controversy, with a certain amount of Israel's Golan residents oppose a total return of the highlands, while the opposition parties accused Barak of selling the Golan out to the Syrians.

To back up Labor's campaign for a referendum, Barak is re-forming the team that helped win him the premiership in the May elections.

Barak's top advisors will reconvene to discuss strategies ahead of the referendum.

It was reported that Barak would ask the cabinet to support the peace deal with Syria and then bypass the Knesset on the way to a national vote.

The Knesset's regular business has been put partly on hold, as some of the week's agenda will be dedicated to the renewed peace talks with Syrians.

On Monday, Barak will, before flying to Washington, present a statement to the house on the latest development, followed by a reply from Likud leader Ariel Sharon. (Xinhua)