— Former United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) commander Gen. Emmanuel Erskine has apologized to Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. Rafael Eitan for an accusation by UNIFIL against Israel last December that Israeli soldiers had mutilated the bodies of five terrorists killed in a clash in southern Lebanon.
Erskine, who now serves-as UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim’s personal representative in Jerusalem and is the officer commanding the UN Truce Supervision Organization, wrote to Eitan last week: “I would like to take this opportunity to express…my personal sincere regrets for UNIFIL’s report of December 25, 1980, which was proved to be inaccurate.”
The new UNIFIL commander, William Callaghan, met with Eitan last Friday in what was described as a mutual effort to defuse the tension between UNIFIL and the Israel Army arising out of the movement closer to Israel’s border of units of the official Lebanese army.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
