Syria is on the verge of annexing eastern Lebanon, Defense Minister Shimon Peres today told the Third World Conference of Jewish Lawyers meeting here. Lebanon was in fact partitioned among the Moslems, the Lebanese leftists, the Christians and the Syrians, he said. The Syrians are governing eastern Lebanon and they have removed, for example, all the customs signs.
As far as southern Lebanon is concerned, there is a political vacuum which the so-called Lebanese Arab Army, a Moslem splinter army group fighting alongside the PLO against the Christians, tried to fill but the farmers are the ones in control of the situation, Peres said. Thus, Israel was continuing contacts with the Lebanese Arab Army–at its request–but was glad for the opportunity to assist the farmers, Peres said.
As far as Israel was concerned, he said, it has no intention whatsoever to cross the Lebanese border, “the only internationally recognized border with an Arab country.”
Peres ruled out the possibility of a Soviet intervention in Lebanon. The Soviets have a policy of avoiding direct involvement, he said, and he did not believe they would suddenly change that policy. Besides, he added, “I don’t believe the Syrians will invite the Russians.”
Referring to the Egyptian rescue operation yesterday of the hostages in the hijacked plane in Luxor, Peres complimented the Egyptians–“If what was published in the press was true, and I have all reason to believe that it is true.”
Premier Yitzhak Rabin told the same forum yesterday that Israel was ready to extend help to Egypt to release the hijacked plane. As it turned out, the Egyptians managed it alone.
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