Israel welcomed the cease-fire that went into effect in Lebanon today, expressed hope that it would last and indicated that Israel had contributed more toward achieving it than could be disclosed at this time.
Commenting on behalf of the government. Deputy Foreign Minister Yehuda Ben-Meir stressed that the key to a lasting solution in Lebanon was “the withdrawal of all foreign forces” from that country. He said that “Israel is ready and waiting to leave, and let us hope that Syria will see that her occupation of Lebanon has led only to bloodshed and nothing else; and that she will be ready to get her troops out of Lebanon,”
Ben-Meir said that Israel “fully supported the efforts of the United States, of President Reagan and of his special emissary, Ambassador (Robert) McFarlane, in trying to bring about the cease-fire. Israel has been working behind the scenes. We have contributed throughout the time — an important contribution. But I think that for the future it would be best not to give this any great publicity.”
The Deputy Foreign Minister did disclose, however, that “Israel has made efforts in coordinating with the U.S. in places where we can, where we have influence, to try to facilitate such a cease-fire. Let us all hope that it will work and that it will be a first step in solving the overall problem in Lebanon, the basis of which will be, of course, the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon.”
REPORT 806 LEBANESE KILLED IN LAST 3 WEEKS
According to reports from Beirut today, the Lebanese police estimate that 806 Lebanese were killed and 1,725 wounded in the three weeks of fierce fighting in the Shouf mountains area and around Beirut since the Israeli army withdrew to the Awali River line.
Observers here, as well as Lebanese officials and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt qualified their optimism over the cease-fire by noting that there have been many previous cease-fires in Lebanon which held for a time and then broke down.
PEACE NOW DELEGATION MEETS WITH ARENS
Meanwhile, a delegation representing the Peace Now movement met with Defense Minister Moshe Arens today to discuss the situations in Lebanon and on the West Bank. Peace Now leader Sali Reshef told reporters after the 90-minute meeting that “We expressed our deep concern about our long stay in Lebanon … Minister Arens unfortunately is picturing a situation in which it will take us years to get out of Lebanon.”
Reshef said the delegation told Arens of their concern over the morale of Israeli troops in Lebanon and of the Israeli public “if indeed we have to stay there.”
The delegation undertook to provide Arens with details, based on the reports of reserve soldiers, of exactly what took place when Jewish settlers allegedly sacked and burned the Hebron market place after a Yeshiva student was fatally stabbed there last July.
“We told him we have the testimony of people who were on reserve duty on the night of the burning and we are going to submit to the Minister a document about it,” Reshef said. “The Minister promised us he would investigate our complaints and that if people are found to be guilty they will be tried.”
The Peace Now group also protested against the government’s intention to build a Jewish quarter in the heart of Arab Hebron, They charged “illegal behavior in trying to enforce the will of the Israeli authorities by nominating an Israeli mayor which is in effect carrying out the will not of inhabitants of Hebron but of the Israeli authorities.”
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.
