The French government, which has in the past proclaimed its deep-rooted ties with Lebanon, has been officially silent so far on the latest crisis in that half Moslem, half Christian nation, once a mandated territory of France. The crisis is double-edged, involving the Israeli-Lebanese border conflict on one hand and the challenge to the Lebanese government by Palestinian guerrillas on the other. President Georges Pompidou is briefed daily on the border fighting and on developments inside Lebanon. But up to now, government spokesmen have carefully avoided making any statements on the subject and Israeli diplomats here have not been summoned to the Quai d’Orsay to answer for their government’s actions. Some sources here bay the French lassitude is motivated by a belief in government circles that the present Lebanese government is doomed. They say France is pursuing a neutral course in the conflict between the Beirut regime and the Palestinians which amounts to “abandonment” of Christian, moderate Lebanon in favor of the more extremist Arab states, notably Egypt, Syria and Libya which France is courting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
