Secretary of State George Shultz, in a personal message to Premier Shimon Peres, welcomed the Cabinet’s decision to withdraw the Israel Defense Force from south Lebanon.
The message, in which Shultz expressed hope that the withdrawal would be accompanied by political agreements between Israel and Lebanon, was conveyed to Peres by U.S. Ambassador Samuel Lewis yesterday. Peres explained to the American envoy the nature of the three-stage withdrawal, the first stage of which is expected to be completed in five weeks.
He stressed that the withdrawal will be gradual and will enable the orderly transfer of the territories evacuated by the IDF to the Lebanese authorities and to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and continuation of the negotiations with the Lebanese government.
The role of UNIFIL however is problematic. Israel wants the international peacekeeping force to take over security responsibilities in the area of south Lebanon from which the IDF will depart in the first stage of the withdrawal operation. But United Nations Undersecretary General Brian Urquhart told Defense Minister Yitzhak Rab in at a meeting in Tel Aviv this week that such a commitment was beyond UNIFIL’s mandate and that he would have to refer the matter back to UN headquarters in New York.
LEBANESE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BLOOD BATHS
Rabin disclosed, at a meeting with Israel Bond leaders from the U.S., Canada and Latin America in Tel Aviv yesterday, that he had informed the UN diplomat that if there is a bloodbath between rival factions in Lebanon after the IDF departs, the Lebanese government would be directly responsible and the UN itself would bear indirect responsibility.
“I made it clear to (Urquhart) that if there is a negative Lebanese response (to Israel’s proposals for the deployment of UNIFIL) we are going to leave the area … Israel is not going to be the policeman of Lebanon. It is not our duty … it will be the Lebanese responsibility and indirectly the United Nations’ responsibility,” Rabin said.
He also said that Israel would not endanger one single Israeli life to get the Syrians out of Lebanon. “If they (the Syrians) want to stay there, let them stay there. They put their own feet in the Lebanese mud Let them drag themselves out.” He added that “what is now going on in south Lebanon is a Shiite-Israeli war, not a war against the Palestine Liberation Organization.”
SHULTZ STRESSED ECONOMIC MEASURES
Most of Shultz’s message to Peres, it was learned, was devoted to Israel’s economy. The Secretary of State welcomed the economic measures the Israel government has taken so far but made it clear that the Reagan Administration is waiting for more drastic measures that would lead to a real improvement in the economy.
Voice of Israel Radio reported yesterday that Lewis informed Peres that the Administration is ready to grant Israel $1.8 billion in military aid. But there are still no signs of a positive American response to Israel’s request for an additional $750 million in economic aid.
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