Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir of Israel said today that the massacre in west Beirut “brought a wave of shock, outrage and revulsion in Israel.” But, he said, although the perpetrators of this crime are “well known” and “they were not Israelis,” blind hatred and false accusations were leveled against Israel. He described them as “outrageous.”
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in a 16-page speech that outlined Israel’s foreign policy principles, Shamir spoke about the situation in the Middle East, the UN and its relations to Israel the state of Jewish communities in the world and Israel’s search for peace. But he spoke to a largely empty hall. Most of the Arab and Third World delegates left when he mounted the podium.
ISRAEL REMAINS FAITHFUL TO CAMP DAVID
While Shamir did not mention by name the Middle East peace proposals announced by President Reagan September 1, he referred to them obliquely when he stated:
“Israel remains faithful to its commitment under the Camp David accords. Israel has cautioned against attempts to reinterpret, renegotiate or bypass them. These accords are the only accepted blueprint for the implementation of Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. Pressing Israel for territorial withdrawals will not bring peace. Indeed, there is no peace without security, and further territorial amputations negate security.”
Shamir said that those of Israel’s neighbors who want peace will find that Israel is a willing partner. But he warned that those Arab countries which think they can weaken Israel by “dangling the word peace as a bait are deluding themselves.” He said the reward for peace is peace itself.
REJECTS ARAB SUMMIT PROPOSALS
Shamir rejected the recent Arab summit proposals for a settlement with Israel. Noting that the Arab countries had created “a Palestinian problem and (are) using it as a weapon against Israel,” the Foreign Minister recalled that the Arab countries initiated a boycott against Israel and supported the terrorist organizations’ attacks on Israel.
“Against this background of active and sustained belligerency, it is ludicrous to search for moderation in possible hints contained in Arab summit resolutions, including the recent one in Fez, Morocco. Any change toward moderation must be reflected in deeds and in facts, not only in resolutions,” Shamir declared.
Turning to the issue of autonomy for the Palestinians, Shamir said Israel is ready to renew negotiations toward the establishment of a self-governing authority for “Judaea, Samaria and Gaza” as the autonomy plan calls for. He said, however, “there is a great deal of logic in the provisions specified in the Camp David agreements that the final status of those areas should not be negotiated in the present state. We remain convinced that to focus now on what is beyond the horizon is a sure way of inviting failure.” Shamir said his country would welcome additional partners to the autonomy negotiations, a reference which appeared to be directed to Jordan. He stressed however that Israel will not agree to discuss the creation of “a second Palestinian state.”
RAPS BIASED UN TREATMENT OF ISRAEL
The Israeli Foreign Minister sharply criticized the UN for its biased treatment of Israel. Noting that the General Assembly has rejected the Camp David accords and the Israeli Egyptian peace treaty, Shamir stated:
“Among the thousands of resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council or any other UN body during the past 30 years one can hardly find a single decision or resolution that explicitly condemns by name any Arab state or organization for attacks on Israel or Israelis. During these 30 years, have Arabs never practiced military attacks, terrorist activities, hi-jacking airplanes, taking hostages, not to speak of the placing of embargoes and blockades and other hostile acts which international law would even define as ‘casus belli’?”
Shamir said that in the UN the Arab states always appear to be innocent. He also complained that UN documentation “is replete with anti-Israel resolutions which have increased yearly in both number and length, overflowing with distorted suppositions, arbitrary statements and one-sided and destructive recommendations and decisions.”
WARNS OF INCREASING ANTI-SEMITISM
With respect to the condition of Jews in the world, Shamir charged that the “monster” of anti-Semitism is “raising its ugly head once again.” He charged that attacks an Israel and on Zionism are a mask for anti-Semitism. He said Israel calls on all governments to join in a campaign against anti-Semitism.
As for Jews in countries of distress, Shamir singled out the Soviet Union and Syria where he said Jews are deprived of their human rights. He said Israel “cannot and will not rest until these rights are granted.”
Shamir concluded his speech by declaring: “The Middle East is sorely in need of good counsel, moderation, much patience and a sincere desire for co-existence of diverse ideas, ideologies, faiths and communities. Israel, for its part, is ready to participate and contribute to the creation of such a reality and atmosphere in the Middle East.”
Secretary of State George Shultz addressed the Assembly later in the day and afterwards was scheduled to meet the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Syria to discuss Reagan’s Mideast peace proposals. (See separate story P.3.)
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.
