Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir said in a weekend radio interview that a formal peace treaty with Lebanon remained Israel’s goal, because a formal act was required to end the over 30 years’ state of belligerency between the two countries.
“Normal relations between countries usually start when there is a formal peace treaty between them, especially after such a long period of war,” he said. Shamir said he did not know how long this would take “but it should be as soon as possible.” The Foreign Minister said there was no intention of using force to obtain a peace treaty. “Peace should be reached by joint negotiations and agreement,” Shamir said.
There were reports from Beirut over the weekend that President-elect Bashir Gemayel has asked Israel not to press for a formal peace treaty, but to accept a de facto treaty by normalizing trade and commercial relations between the two countries. Gemayel reportedly pointed out that a formal treaty with Israel would generate adverse reactions from other Arab countries and isolate Lebanon from the Arab world.
But Shamir contended that only a peace treaty, and not practical normal relations of trade and tourism, could bring about the radical change needed for both Lebanon and the Middle East. He said there was a direct connection between the special defense and security arrangements which Israel would require in a 40-kilometer belt in southern Lebanon along Israel’s borders, whether there was formal peace or not.
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