The United States and Israel appeared pleased today that agreement was reached between Israel and Lebanon for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, security arrangements along Israel’s northern border and bilateral matters. But both countries acknowedged, in light of Syria’s rebuff, that serious obstacles must be overcome before the accord is finally implemented.
Under the agreement, Israel can pull its troops out of Lebanon within an 8-12 week timetable. But the Israeli withdrawal is contingent on simultaneous withdrawal of Syrian and Palestine Liberation Organization forces and President Hafez Assad made it clear to Secretary of State George Shultz in Damascus yesterday that this was not about to happen.
“It is fair to say they (the Syrians) are hardly enthusiastic about the agreement, ” Shultz told reporters. He indicated that the next step will involve talks between Lebanon and Syria and predicted that “those will be very difficult negotiations.”
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens proposed today that Syria be given a “few weeks” to decide whether to agree to pull out of Lebanon but he would not venture to predict what Damascus would decide.
NOT CONDITIONAL ON CLARIFICATIONS
The Israeli Cabinet announced after seven hours of deliberation Friday that it accepts in principle the draft agreement with Lebanon worked out by Shultz in two weeks of arduous shuttle diplomacy between Jerusalem and Beirut. Israel will seek clarification of certain key points. Officials made it clear, however, that acceptance of the agreement was not conditional on receipt of the clarifications.
Premier Menachem Begin telephoned Shultz at the King David Hotel to inform him of the Cabinet’s decision. After receiving the news, Shultz told reporters, “We are really pleased that the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Israel have decided to accept this agreement. We recognize there is a tremendous amount of work to be done. But this is a milestone. We are determined to keep on and do the initial things that are necessary to see that it works.”
Shultz added that he was “grateful” for the “hard work and effort and splendid atmosphere” displayed by the negotiators on both sides. He said that most of the agreement had been completed before he arrived in the Middle East and praised U.S. special envoys Philip Habib and Morris Draper for their efforts. Shultz also told reporters that Begin has been invited to Washington to discuss bilateral relations. He did not say when the visit would take place.
REAGAN CONGRATULATES BEGIN
The White House reported Friday that President Reagan, who was in Phoenix on a western tour, personally congratulated Begin on the agreement in a telephone call to Jerusalem. White House Deputy Press Secretary Larry Speakes, who was travelling with the President, said Reagan also spoke to Shultz and to Arens. He said the White House did not expect any problems in providing the clarifications Israel requested.
According to Speakes, Reagan told Begin he wanted to “praise the constructive and positive spirit in which the negotiations were successfully concluded. It speaks well about the deep cooperation and understanding that exists between our two countries.”
Shultz visited Amman before going to Damascus. He reported later that King Hussein of Jordan wholeheartedly accepted the Israeli-Lebanese agreement and viewed it as a first step toward reviving the Middle East peace process.
The Secretary of State spent today in Beirut and Jerusalem briefing officials on his discussion with Assad. He insited that despite Syria’s negative reaction, “The efforts for the carrying forward of this agreement and other arrangements will continue. They have not been derailed and will not be derailed.”
Shultz noted also that Habib and Draper are remaining in Beirut to “continue work on matters that are still ahead of us in bringing this to a successful conclusion, that is, to get all foreign forces out of Lebanon.”
Shultz said in reply to questions from reporters in Jerusalem that he didn’t think the Israeli government would change its mind on the agreement if the Syrians continue to stall. “The Israelis have been in the Middle East a long time and they know you just don’t snap your fingers at people, ” he said. He added, however, that Israel could not be expected to wait indefinitely for a Syrian agreement.
PRINCIPAL POINTS OF THE AGREEMENT
The principal points of the agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon, but yet to be signed, are:
* Simultaneous withdrawal from Lebanon of Israeli, Syrian and PLO forces.
* Lebanon’s agreement to end the formal state of war with Israel.
* Establishment of eight joint supervisory teams in south Lebanon consisting of II Israeli and II Lebanese solders on each team.
* Lebanon to be in charge of the teams which will patrol the region in Lebanese vehicles.
* Israel’s ally, Maj. Saad Haddad, to be deputy commander in south Lebanon in charge of anti-terrorist intelligence.
* Establishment of a joint administrative committee of Americans, Israelis and Lebanese to handle any problems which might arise in the future.
* The guaranteed right of self-defense for Israeli soldiers if they are fired upon while participating in the joint teams in Lebanon.
* If Israel is attacked directly from Lebanese soil it may retaliate.
* Within six months of the signing of the agreement, Israel and Lebanon will commence negotiations for the normalization of relations between them.
SOME OPPOSITION TO THE ACCORD
The agreement falls short of Israel’s demands on many points and there was some opposition within the Cabinet. Energy Minister Yitzhak Modai was quoted by Israel Radio as saying that he would not have been in favor of extending the war beyond the 45-kilometer security zone in Lebanon last summer had he known that this agreement would be the outcome.
But most ministers felt on the whole that the risks of rejecting the agreement outweighed its shortcomings in terms of the situation in Lebanon and, especially, Israel’s future relations with the U.S. Begin personally drafted the text of the Cabinet’s acceptance statement and it was apparent from the outset that most ministers would endorse whatever he approved.
The two negative votes were cast by former Defense Minister Ariel Sharon who now holds no portfolio, and Minister of Science Yuval Neeman of the ultra-nationalist Tehiya faction. Both insisted that the agreement does not protect Israel’s security.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
