The French Government placed the blame today for the continuing crisis in Lebanon on the Arab-Israeli conflict and called for its speedy resolution by the Big Four. In a statement issued following a Cabinet meeting in which the Lebanese situation was studied, the Government spokesman, Leo Hamon, said the Government’s position was clear. It considered that the Arab-Israel conflict “is at the source of the serious troubles that affect this region of the world.” Consequently, he said, the French Government called for speedy solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict as a means of reducing tensions in the area.
He said that “France’s stand is that a lasting and just settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict can only be obtained through Four Power consultations.” He urged immediate resumption of the Four Power talks.
In other Paris news, police arrested seven men believed to be members of, or sympathizers with El Fatah in connection with the attack last Sunday on the Rothschild Bank and the offices of the newspaper L’Aurore. Most of those arrested were said to be Arabs. They were held for arraignment before an investigating magistrate. The police also raided the offices of an El Fatah front organization, the “Movement Against Anti-Arab Racism,” and seized documents and pamphlets which they described as inciting to racial and religious hatred–a violation of French law.
Today’s police activities followed the incidents on Sunday when a mob of about 100, carrying El Fatah and Egyptian flags, tried to storm the office of L’Aurore which they accused of being pro-Israel, and the Rothschild Bank where windows were broken and some equipment destroyed.
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