France Asks Israel to Avoid Escalation of Fighting Along Lebanese Border

France has asked Israel to do everything it can to avoid an escalation of fighting along the Lebanese border, it was disclosed here today. Informed sources said the request was conveyed by the French Ambassador, Francis Hure, when he called on Foreign Minister Abba Eban, at a meeting held at the Ambassador’s initiative. Foreign Ministry sources meanwhile continued to deny press reports that both France and the Soviet Union had warned Israel not to take retaliatory military action against Lebanon. It was reliably reported that Mr. Eban told the French Ambassador that future developments on the Lebanese border depended on the Lebanese authorities. He said that Israel respected the independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon but its first duty was to protect the lives of its own citizens. According to sources here the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Beirut government had the obligation to prevent guerrilla attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory and in Israel’s opinion it was capable of doing so.

(Reports from Beirut yesterday said that French Ambassador Bernard du Fournier told the Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassim Majdalani that France condemned Israeli threats against his government and had officially warned Israel yesterday against any rash action toward Lebanon. According to the reports, the Soviet Ambassador Sarvar Azimov, later informed Lebanon that his government told Israel that Russia condemned its “aggressive attitude toward the Arab world.” The statements by the two envoys constituted the first official reaction to a formal protest made by Lebanon to the Ambassadors of Britain, France, Russia and the United States over alleged Israeli threats, the reports said.) (Political circles in Paris said today that France has taken “energetic action” to prevent any Israeli reprisals against Lebanon. According to these circles, a “warning” was conveyed to Foreign Minister Eban by Ambassador Hure. But most observers in Paris believe that French diplomatic action was “far milder.”)