France Still Favors the Peaceful Evacuation of Arafat and His PLO Forces from Tripoli

France still favors the unimpeded evacuation of PLO chief Yasir Arafat and some 4,000 of his men from Tripoli where they are besieged by dissident forces on land and Israeli ships at sea. Foreign Minister Claude Cheysson said today that France and America are “in full agreement” on the need to evacuate the Palestinians from the northern Lebanese port.

Greece, which is due to supply the ships for the evacuation, has asked France, the United States, Italy and Britain for naval protection. In its turn, France has asked Israel for assurances that it will not open fire at the evacuation vessels. The French say Israel has not yet replied, though Israeli officials were quoted as having said yesterday that “Arafat will have to keep on guessing till the last moment.”

French sources said here today the Greek evacuation ships have not left Athens and are still waiting for multinational escort vessels.

The French government continues to believe that no lasting solution to the Middle East conflict can be found without active PLO participation and that Arafat has both a unifying and moderating influence. French policy aims at enabling Arafat to leave Tripoli with his political prestige unscathed.

JEWISH GROUPS PROTEST FRENCH ATTITUDE

Jewish organizations in France have vehemently protested against this attitude. The Representative Council of Major French Jewish Organizations (CRIF) said yesterday this policy “can no longer be defended following last week’s terrorist bus attack in Jerusalem.”

CRIF president Theo Klein called on President Francois Mitterrand to adopt a more balanced policy “now that Arafat and the PLO have shown that they are definitely opposed to any peaceful solution.”