Israeli-Lebanese discussions are marking time until U.S. special Ambassador Philip Habib returns to the Middle East from Washington, possibly with new American proposals to break the negotiating stalemate, observers here said today.
They said that was the real reason why the subcommittees set up last week to deal with various agenda items did not hold their scheduled meetings yesterday and today. The official reason was that the Israelis and Lebanese could not agree on a site, Israel wanted the subcommittees to meet in Herzliya, a seaside resort just north of Tel Aviv, while the Lebanese preferred Nahariya near the Lebanon-Israel border.
The difference over venue was called “minor and technical” by Israeli officials with each side’s preference motivated by “convenience.” But the fact that such a small matter could not be settled gave credence to reports that the Israelis and Lebanese have nothing to talk about until Habib returns. Nevertheless, the Israeli, Lebanese and U.S. delegations will hold the second of their regular twice weekly meetings in Kiryat Shmona tomorrow, as scheduled.
They met Monday at Khalde where each side reiterated its position in what was described as an exchange of “hardline” speeches. Habib returned to Washington with no progress to report after a week of intensive talks with top Israeli officials.
In the expectation that the U.S. will blame Israel for blocking an agreement on the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon, the Israelis have mounted their own offensive, accusing Washington of counseling the Lebanese not to accept the Israeli positions.
The Israelis are also blaming Saudi Arabia for putting pressure on Lebanon. Haaretz reported today that the Saudi government has sent a strong, clear message to President Amin Gemayel of Lebanon that it would view with grave disfavor any normalization of ties between Lebanon and Israel.
Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir told a group of visiting members of the Australian parliament this week that Arab pressure was the “main problem” holding up the negotiations.
He made the same point in the Knesset yesterday. According to Shamir, “the Lebanese people by and large harbor friendly feelings toward Israel. If Lebanon were allowed to act according to its own sovereign will, it would decide to maintain good neighborly relations with Israel,” Shamir said.
The term “good neighborly relations” was a point of contention in the recent negotiations over an agenda. The Lebanese rejected it as too far-reaching and the Israelis finally settled for the more ambiguous phrase,” mutual relations.”
ISRAEL NOT SEEKING CONFRONTATION WITH U.S.
Premier Menachem Begin told a visiting group of pro-Israel American lobbyists today that Israel wants to avoid a confrontation with Washington over its security demands and seeks to solve outstanding problems through dialogue. Begin also cited Saudi pressures on Lebanon as the prime cause of Beirut’s rejection of Israel’s terms.
One of those terms — Israel’s demand that its own soldiers alone man the early warning stations in the security zone in south Lebanon — was criticized today by Labor Party chairman Shimon Peres. The opposition leader told an audience in Jerusalem that such stations were not necessary because they would not be effective in the thickly populated territory of south Lebanon.
Peres contrasted that territory with the virtually empty stretches of Sinai where electronic warning stations, manned by Americans, functioned until all of Sinai was returned to Egypt last spring.
But it became clear from Cabinet leaks this week that the government is seeking not simply advance warning stations but permanent Israeli military outposts in south Lebanon from which soldiers could track down and pursue terrorist infiltrators.
Peres also differed from the government over the role of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The UN Security Council voted last week to extend the UNIFIL mandate for another six months, despite strong objections from Israel. Peres said he thought UNIFIL could play a useful role and suggested that it be used to guard Palestinian refugee camps throughout Lebanon, meaning in the north of that country as well as the south where UNIFIL presently operates.
Peres did agree with the government’s position that Maj. Saad Haddad’s Christian militia should play a key role within the Lebanese army in policing south Lebanon after Israel withdraws.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
