Israel declared last night that it would not “stand idly by” if Lebanese Christian enclaves adjacent to its northern border were attacked, Foreign Minister Yigal Allon made the warning public during a television interview. But it is understood that a similar message had been transmitted earlier, through United States auspices, to both the Lebanese and the Syrian governments.
Allon in his interview, noted that to date the Palestinian attacks on the Christians had been outside the Christian enclaves. He added, cryptically, that he would not be surprised if a ceasefire in southern Lebanon were soon achieved. At the Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, Allon outlined the four cardinal principles which molded Israel’s stance towards the ongoing battles in southern Lebanon. His statement was later made available to the media.
BASIS OF ISRAEL’S STANCE
The four principles were:
Israel would not tolerate an advance of Syrian or “inter-Arab” forces southwards from the line they now hold. At present, Syrian forces are stationed about 20 kilometers north of the border, a line to which they withdrew after February’s tense standoff with Israel. Israel television said last night that some 30,000 Syrian troops and 400 tanks were sited some 30-40 kilometers north of the border and “Israel’s entire northern border was being prepared to meet the possibility of a Syrian thrust.”
Israel would not tolerate hits by Palestinian terrorists, whether by infiltration across the border or by shooting or shelling from the Lebanese side.
“As Jews with so much experience of persecution,” Israel would not tolerate attacks on the neighboring Christian villages, and would not permit a slaughter of friendly Christians “who are within our reach.”
Israel would not tolerate any disturbance of its humanitarian aid efforts at the “good fence.”
This morning there were already grateful reactions from Lebanese Christians on the northern border.
FIGHTING AT ITS WORST
After Allon’s statement, the Ministers–sitting as the top secret Cabinet Security Committee–heard reports on latest developments in Lebanon from Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur.
Authoritative sources here say the fighting in southern Lebanon last week was the worst ever in that region. They have no confirmation, however, of reports that the Syrians actually stepped in on the side of the Palestinians, but they do feel that the Syrians did far less than they might have to keep the Palestinians in check. As a result, several hundred Palestinian terrorists, with some of their heavy equipment, were able to move south and reinforce Palestinian forces there.
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