Israel appeared to be emerging as the protector of Palestinian refugees in south Lebanon against efforts by the Lebanese government to get rid of them. Economics Minister Yaacov Meridor told the Knesset yesterday that Israel would see to it that the refugees have adequate shelter this winter, regardless of opposition from the Lebanese authorities.
He said Israel was encouraging the refugees to accept tents provided by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and would help them build more permanent structures if they wished. These would replace the structures destroyed in the Lebanese war last summer. The Lebanese government is demolishing refugee houses in the Beirut area on grounds they were built illegally.
ISRAEL ARMY WILL PROTECT THE REFUGEES
Meridor also pledged that the Israel army would protect the refugees from Lebanese moves against them as long as the army remains in Lebanon. He said he had met with a top Lebanese “personality” last July who had made it clear that the Lebanese government wanted all Palestinians out of the country and therefore refused to approve the building of permanent or semi-permanent shelters for them.
Residents of the Ein Hilwe, refugee camp near Sidon burned down the first UNRWA tents today, demanding permanent shelters. They stoned UNRWA workers erecting the tents but a spokesman for the agency said work would be resumed tomorrow.
Meridor spoke in reply to charges by the Labor Alignment that the government had failed to act last summer to provide the homeless refugees with shelter before the winter cold set in. Mapam MK Yair Tsaban said Israel could have acted then without interference from the Lebanese.
Meridor’s solicitude toward the refugees was seen by some observers as an effort to undo the damage caused earlier this year by his alleged comment that the Palestinians should be “pushed eastward.” In the Knesset yesterday, the minister accused UNRWA of tardiness in erecting the tents. He said 20 heavy earthmovers made available by Israel were idle. But he cautioned against straining relations with the UN agency because it might pull out altogether, leaving Israel with sole responsibility for the refugees.
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