Premier Menachem Begin said today that all parties appeared satisfied with the PLO withdrawal plan presented by U.S. special envoy Philip Habib. In an interview in Yediot Achronot, Begin said that if all went according to plan, the PLO withdrawal from west Beirut should begin as early as next week. Begin and Habib met twice in an attempt to work out the last Israeli reservations about the envoy’s plan.
The Cabinet yesterday approved in principle Habib’s proposals for a PLO evacuation from west Beirut, but sought some amendments. The Cabinet demanded as a precondition to an agreement a full list of the countries willing to accept the terrorists and the number of terrorists each country would be willing to accept. That number should fully match the estimated total of 12,000 PLO forces and Syrian soldiers believed to be present in west Beirut by Israeli authorities.
Israel has also demanded that the terrorists free an Israeli pilot they captured about a week ago when his plane was shot down during one of the intense battles and permit the removal of Israeli soldiers killed. In addition, if the PLO evacuation is halted for any reason, the mandate of the multinational force should be terminated, at the request of Israel. But in any event, the mandate of the force — to supervise the evacuation of the PLO fighters from west Beirut and to guarantee their safety in being relocated — should remain in effect for no more than 30 days, Israeli optimism about Habib’s plan was enhanced overnight by the announcement that Syria had reversed its decision not to accept any PLO fighters. Other countries that have agreed to accept some of the terrorists are Tunisia, Jordan and Iraq. Egypt has said that its acceptance of PLO forces is conditional on solving the Palestinian problem.
ISRAELIS SATISFIED WITH BEGIN-HABIB TALKS
Israeli officials expressed satisfaction with today’s meetings between Habib and Begin, saying that progress had been made on a number of points. Habib left this evening to return to Beirut and is scheduled to return to Jerusalem tomorrow. Replies to some of Israel’s questions are expected when Habib returns here.
Two points on which agreement has still not been reached are said to be the exact timing of the entry of an international force, and Israel’s objections to any United Nations observers in Beirut. Israel wants the international force, and not UN observers, to enter west Beirut only after most of the PLO terrorists have left. Habib wants some French troops there as the first contingent of terrorists depart, to ensure the safety of the others.
Israel says it is not worried about most of the PLO going to Syria, as Israel will hold the host country responsible for any future terrorist attacks by PLO members.
BEGIN SEES PEACE FOR MANY YEARS
Begin, in his interview today, said that once the problem of the PLO withdrawal is solved and the establishment of a stable government in Lebanon is assured, there was little chance of either Syria or Jordan launching a war against Israel and the Middle East should be able to enjoy peace for many years.
Begin also spoke emotionally about the Israeli casualties — 320 soldiers killed and more than 1,500 wounded — since the war in Lebanon began June 6. He said the thought of this gave him sleepless nights.
The Premier disclosed that he plans to retire from office in two years. “I agreed with my wife last year, that I should retire as Prime Minister in two years. Another minister will then be able to take over and lead the Likud to victory in the next elections,” he said. He stated that he plans to write books after his retirement, on the “Holocaust generation” and his memoirs as Premier.
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