ISRAELI SOURCES COMMENT ON CRO PRESIDENT'S POSSIBLE VISIT TO ISRAEL

TEL AVIV, Oct 7 (Hina) - There are no obstacles for the visit of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman to Israel which may occur as soon as the two countries' presidents find time in their schedules -- sources of the Israeli Foreign Minister say. The visit of President Tudjman to Israel and the verdict of guilty turned by the Zagreb county Court against a former commander of the Jasenovac concentration camp in Croatia during World War II, Dinko Sakic, are two completely different issues, the source said. Tudjman was to visit Israel this May, but elections held ahead of time postponed his visit, so bringing into connection Sakic's trial and Tudjman's visit to Israel is an issue of reporters' assessments, the source said. The Israeli Foreign Ministry sees Croatia as a good example of coming face to face with its own past. Only a year and a half passed between Sakic's arrest and his conviction, which can serve as an example to other countries in which the trial processes against nazi war criminals is much slower and more difficult, and where such trials are being postponed for years. Spokeswoman for Israeli president Ezer Weizman's Office, Batia Kenan, said Tudjman's visit was not scheduled at this moment. She added that as far as she knew, there are at this time no indications that the visit could happen any time soon. A great number of presidents all over the world are requesting visits to Israel since the peace process had started, and I do not see when President Weizman will have time for Tudjman, she said. Kenan added the Foreign Ministry decided on who would be invited. Yosi Melman, a reporter who wrote a text published in Israel's daily "Ha'aretz" Monday, claiming Sakic's conviction opened the path for Tudjman to Israel, said he based his text on information he had received from official sources, including the Foreign Ministry and President Weizman's Office. (hina) lml jn