President Reagan said, after 2 1/2 hours of meetings with Premier Menachem Begin at the White House today that there was “a common understanding” between the United States and Israel “of the need to bring peace and security to the Middle East” and that both countries agreed to “seek an end to the violence” in Lebanon and the establishment of “a sovereign, independent Lebanon under the authority of a strong central government.”
Reagan stressed, in a prepared statement read to reporters on the White House South. Lawn, that “Israel must not be subjected to violence from the north” and that “The U.S. will continue to work to achieve … the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon.”
Reagan and Begin met privately in the Oval Office in the presence only of the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Samuel Lewis, and Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, Moshe Arens. The two envoys took notes. The President and Premier held a second meeting later attended by Secretary of State Alexander Haig, Nicholas Veliotes, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East and South Asian Affairs and other Administration officials. Begin was accompanied by Arens and by Yehuda Blum, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
BEGIN SAYS WITHDRAWAL WILL BE ‘SOON AS POSSIBLE’
Standing beside the President on the South Lawn, Begin told reporters that he had “held a very fruitful discussion with the President and his advisors.” He said that “Israel will withdraw all of its troops” from Lebanon “as soon as possible,” adding that “As soon as possible means as soon as arrangements are made that never again will our citizens be attacked, maimed and killed by armed bands operating from Lebanon, armed and supported by the Soviet Union and its satellites.”
Begin said “There is hope and belief that such arrangements will be made so that all foreign forces, without exception, will be withdrawn from Lebanon and there will be an independent, free Lebanon.” He predicted that “The day is near when such a Lebanon and Israel will sign a peace treaty and live in peace forever.”
PRESIDENT COMMUNICATES ‘DEEP CONCERN’
Later, a senior Administration official briefing reporters on the contents of the Reagan-Begin meetings, said “The President communicated to the Prime Minister his deep concern that the hostilities in Lebanon be terminated at the earliest possible date, that the withdrawal of Israeli forces be accomplished expeditiously and, above all, that humanitarian activities be undertaken Immediately to provide for the welfare of non-combattants involved as well as combattants.”
The official added that there were “Detailed discussions of the objectives of the U.S. for a Lebanon solution and an exchange of views (between Reagan and Begin) which reflect a degree of similarity between Israel and the U.S., such as Israel agreed that it will and must withdraw from Lebanon.” The official said “There was a reiteration of the need to establish a buffer zone not under Israel’s control or occupation but initially under the occupation of some kind of peace-keeping force.”
He said “The Israeli side is more skeptical of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) than is the U.S., but neither side concluded that it was prudent to rule out any solution in this area a priori.”
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