Yitzhak Minerbi, Israel’s Ambassador to Belgium and to the European Economic Community, sharply criticized the EEC’s statement here yesterday condemning Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and upholding the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and of the Palestine Liberation Organization to be “associated” with the peace process in the Middle East.
In an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today, Minerbi said the EEC position “could lead to the continuation of a military presence of the PLO in Lebanon which was a source of terrorism, insecurity and of the present war.” He noted that both the Lebanese leftist leader, Walid Jumblatt who supports the Palestinians and Bashir Gemayel, leader of the rightwing Christian Phalangists, have called for the removal of the PLO and Syrian forces from Lebanon.
Minerbi said that “In spite of the respect due to the EEC, I think that the problems will not be solved by them but only by the partners to the problems of the Middle East itself.” According to the envoy, “The only problem today” in Lebanon “is the obstinacy of the Palestinians who refuse to leave Beirut even though Israel is prepared to let them leave freely with their personal arms, wherever they want to go.”
He contended that the PLO wants to transform a major military defeat into a diplomatic victory. He criticized the EEC for its failure to criticize PLO terrorism even while they call on the Palestinians to seek a solution “through political means.”
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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.
