Syria Warned Against Future Attacks on U.S. Forces in Lebanon

Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, U.S. envoy to the United Nations, warned Syria that any future attacks against U.S. forces in Lebanon, including American reconnaissance flights over Syrian-occupied Lebanese territory, would be met by “an appropriate response of self-defense” by the United States. Addressing the annual dinner of the Zionist Organization of America’s New York metropolitan region, Mrs. Kirk-patrick compared the U.S. action Sunday with Israel’s policy of responding to PLO terrorism by launching “Operation Peace for Galilee.” She rejected as “spurious” a Syrian complaint at the United Nations that the American bombing raid against Syrian-held territory — in which two U.S. planes were lost Sunday — was a violation of the UN charter.

Mrs. Kirkpatrick explained that American reconnaissance flights over Syrian positions in Lebanon had been authorized by the Lebanese government and were for peaceful, defensive purposes. She said the U.S. had advised Syria about the flights, and said that Syria was “fully aware of the non-hostile nature of these flights.”

LEHRMAN RECEIVES ZOFI AWARD

Lewis Lehrman, Republican candidate for Governor of New York in 1980 and now head of Citizens for America, received the ZOA’s Louis D. Brandeis Award “for distinguished communal leadership and humanitarian service.” The award was presented by Jacques Torczyner, honorary president of ZOA, Lehrman called Israel “a true ally” whose value to the U.S. as a “stronghold of freedom” was recognized by President Reagan, “a true friend.”

HAILS U.S.-ISRAEL ALLIANCE

In her address, Mrs. Kirkpatrick hailed what she termed “the new, reinvigorated strategic alliance and friendship between Israel and the U.S.” and said it marked “an important dimension of the close and vital relationship between our two countries.”

That relationship, she said, was based on “a mutual dedication to peace, a mutual respect and a mutual devotion to liberty and democracy.” Mrs. Kirkpatrick also noted “with deep satisfaction” the role of Israel in voting with the United States at the UN “more than any other ally.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Yehuda Blum, told the ZOA dinner: “The recent fighting in and around Tripoli, Lebanon, demonstrates that the Arab states care precious little for the fate of the Palestinians. Callous indifference to the Palestinians is their attitude. It demonstrates, too, that the PLO neither represents the Palestinian Arabs nor cares how much agony and suffering it causes them.”

Alleck Resnick, president of the ZOA, said that “the new sense of partnership between Washington and Jerusalem must be understood as a reflection of the fundamental relationship that has tied America and Israel together since the rebirth of the Jewish state in 1948.”

“But let there be no mistake,” he added. “We live in precarious times, and while it is a comfort that these two democratic forces will work increasingly in tandem with one another, we must not walk around with a false sense of security. Our experience has taught us that the road ahead will not be smooth and that we must be prepared for all eventualities.”