Israelis pessimistic about end to crisis

Press, 1 June 1981, Page 6

Israelis pessimistic about end to crisis

ftZPA-Reuter Jerusalem

. The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Begin, will brief his Cabinet today on the missile crisis in Lebanon as Israeli officials remain pessimistic about prospects for a peaceful solution.

Israeli officials did ;not say whether Mr Begin would have any news on the temporarily suspended peace mission “of the United States’ special envoy, Mr Philip Habib, who failed to resolve the crisis during 19 days of shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East.

Mr Habib returned to Washington last Thursday for consultations and promised to return this week in an effort to secure the removal of Syrian anti-aircraft missiles, whose presence in Lebanon has brought the Israelis and Syrians to the brink of war. The Israeli officials said that Mr Begin would also tell the Cabinet of the subjects he intended to raise during his summit meeting with the

Egyptian President," Mr. Sadat„, in Sinai on Thursday. The Lebanese crisis would be the first item on the agenda at the meeting. \ ■ v Israel has cautioned Syria that it is still committed to helping the Christians of Le- ' banon . after reports of renewed Syrian bombardment of the embattled Christian town of Zahie. V-'An Israeli official, speaking after Friday night’s shelling had died down, said that any decision taken by the Cabinet today “will depend on the character of the renewed Syrian bombardment.”

Earlier the Israeli Air Force had attacked a Palestinian guerrilla base south of Beirut as well as what the Israelis described as a Li-byan-manned missile , base near Damour.

The Israelis said that they had launched the attack after SAM-9 missiles had been fired at their reconnaissance planes. It was the first Israeli air raid on Palestinian

bases im southern Lebanon since the missile crisis erupted three weeks ago. Israeli radio and television quoted Israeli military sources as saying that the Syrian. Army, with thousands of reserve soldiers mobilised, was on the alert on the Golan Heights and along the Lebanese border.

Mr Begin said that the Israeli attacks were not connected with the missile crisis. Israel would continue to attack Palestinian guerrillas in Lebanon in spite of diplomatic efforts to end the crisis.

In Beirut, the Palestinian commando chief, Mr Yasser Arafat, confirmed a Libyan presence among his forces but said that Libyans had been fighting in Palestinian ranks for the last nine years. Mr Arafat, who is chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, aid not ionfirm Israeli and American reports suggesting that professional Libyan soldiers had arrived in Lebanon to man missile batteries.