Gazit: Israel Should Not Go to War for the Sake of Lebanese Christians

Shlomo Gazit, a former chief of Israeli intelligence, agrees that Israel has an interest in the survival of the Lebanese Christians but he does not believe it should go to war with Syria for their sake. Gazit, who is president of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here, “I don’t think Israel should risk war for the Lebanese Christians. It is not the problem.”

According to Gazit, the problem is that “We have an interest in the survival of Lebanese Christians and in the continuation of Lebanon as an independent country. It is against our political interest to see the Middle East as a monolithic Arab, Moslem Middle East.” He stressed the importance of continued aerial surveillance by Israel over Lebanon to monitor the activities of Palestinian terrorists.

“There is no chance whatever to fight terrorist organizations like the Palestine Liberation Organization by defensive, passive measures,” he said. Otherwise, Israel might risk a surprise attack such as the one that triggered the Yom Kippur War. “The only source of up-to-date intelligence is air photography and the Lebanese sky is essential for detecting PLO moves,” Gazit said.

NO GUARANTEE OF ISRAELI VICTORY

In the event that Israel became involved in a war with Syria, its victory is not a foregone conclusion, Gazit said. “I’m not sure that the military victory is clear because we don’t know whether there will be a limited conflict between Syria and Israel or with other Arab countries or whether even the Soviet Union might not join,” he told the JTA.

Gazit was in Canada to present the Ben Gurion University Negev Award to its first Canadian recipients, Bora Laskin, Chief Justice of Canada and Mrs. Samuel Bronfman, at the annual dinner of the Montreal branch of the Canadian Friends of Ben Gurion University at Shaare Hashomayim Synagogue last Thursday night.