The king's chopper came in over Ariga's office today, the first time Hussein ever visited Tel Aviv in day-time, though he did it a few times at night in the days when his partner was Moshe Dayan. For the first time, an Arab statesman reached "Sha'ar Dado," the main gate to the Defense Ministry Compound, named after David Elazar, the IDF Chief of Staff who won the Yom Kippur War but he lost the Judicial Inquiry investigation that followed the 1973 war, and it broke his heart.

It's appropriate that King Hussein be the first such Arab visitor to the compound, because in effect he declared peace on Israel by not participating in that war in 1973. Another first took place on the same day -- for the first time in their history, Israelis know the name of the chief of the Sherut Bitahon Klali aka Shabak aka Shin Bet and officially known in English translation from the Hebrew as General Security Service.

Ami Ayalon, recently retired from the navy where he rose from frogman to commander of the navy, is a square-jawed natural born leader, and just as naturally silent unless he has something to say, is said to have preferred to become head of the Mossad.

But the circumstances of Rabin's assassination required the resignation of "Kaf," whose expertise in Jewish subversion from the right should have been enough to make sure the Shabak could handle Yigal Amir and company, and instead he had to resign less than a year after taking over the job from Ya'acov Peri.. And the circumstances of Israel were such that it became no longer possible to censor the name of the head of the secret agency.

Adding to the many ironies of the day was the release of another 1,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israel is caught in a dilemma that will need another generation to solve. After Ayyash "the engineer" was identified, but long before his trail of blood ceased to flow, "Kaf," the outgoing head of the shabak explained to Rabin that "in the Palestinian Book of the Palmah, they'll devote 50 pages to Ayyash."

Rabin, one of the cornerstones of the Palmah, the Strike Force established as the vanguard of the Hagannah, the central military wing of the Jewish political movement known as Zionism in the years before the establishment of the state of Israel, understood "kaf": There are almost that many pages in the Israel Book of the Palmah about Rabin, who began his own career in the Palmah.

But perhaps the most significant development of the day will take place tomorrow -- US Secretaray of State Warren Christopher's visit to Damascus is the most critical shuttle trip to take place between Israel and Syria since the end of the yom Kippur War, when Henry Kissinger first used shuttle diplomacy to help the two sides disengage their troops.

That the normally bland Christopher could use such words as "critical" to decribe his trip is already dramatic. That the Syrians are saying they're ready for intensive non-stop talks with Israel is already a breakthrough.

The big question is whether President Assad watched Jordan TV today. All day, Jordan TV broadcast the pictures of Hussein's visit to Israel -- the arrival at Sde Dov, a couple of blocks from Ariga's home on Hayarkon Street, the drive down Ibn Gvirol, past the place where Rabin was shot at city hall, to the hospital where the prime minister was declared dead, and then, up north, on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee -- and across from the Golan Heights. Assad, too, could win the hearts of Israelis.

Says Ariel Sharon today, Jan 10 1996, in an interview in Ha'aretz: "The big question is whether Assad will allow journalists to visit Damascus, and then our reporter in Aleppo, and our broadcaster from Latakia, and our special corrsepondent in Damascus will enthusiastically describe the aroma of the cuisine and the fragrance of the shuk, and it will be so appealing to the Jews, they'll start packing their bags."

Sharon's comment was a warning about Labor creating high expectations on the eve of elections, thus guaranteeing their re-election -- and sending what Sharon calls "The Nationalist Camp" into years of political opposition.

Precisely what he fears most is what Assad could give Israel -- if he wants the Golan back. What will most guarantee peace and security in the region -- for far more than tank traps or early warning stations -- are open markets and commerce, open roads and the freedom to drive all the way to Europe from downtown Tel Aviv, with the first stop on the transcontinental trip, a visit to Damascus.