Israeli officials confirmed yesterday that they had heard of a Lebanese proposal to station United Nations observers on the Lebanese side of the border with Israel. Such a step, while feasible, would not contribute anything to a relaxation of tension along the troubled border, they commented, since observers can report only what they see and terrorist attacks are usually made at night.
Moreover, the officials said, the problem is not whether or not there are terrorist attacks; Lebanon freely admits that it has put part of its land at the disposal of the Palestinians and that it does not object to their crossing the border to strike at Israelis and their property. Placing UN observers on the border, the officials continued, might make it appear to be a reactivation of the Mixed Armistice Commission, to which Israel objects because Beirut violated it by declaring war on Israel in 1967, though it did not actually dispatch troops. Lebanon subsequently accepted the cease-fire, the Israelis stress, and should adhere to it.
The Israeli officials added that the Jordanian-Israeli border is quiet although there are no UN observers there. This, they pointed out, stems from Amman’s decision to curb the terrorists operating from Jordan.
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