U.S. censures Begin Govt

Press, 19 December 1981, Page 9

U.S. censures Begin Govt

NZPA-Reuter Washington The United States joined yesterday in a unanimous United ’ Nations Security Council resolution that declared Israel’s annexation of the Goldan Heights “null and void.” The 15-0 council vote came after the American and Syrian delegations hammered out a mildly worded compromise resolution that avoided outright condemnation of Israel or a direct threat of sanctions.

Charles Lichenstein, deputy to the absent United States Ambassador (Mrs Jeane Kirkpatrick) said that by voting for the resolution the United States “expresses its deep regret and opposition to the action taken by the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) that purports to extend permanent Israeli control over the occupied Golan Heights.”

Hours earlier President Ronald Reagan told a news conference in Washington: “We do deplore this unilateral action by Israel, which increases the difficulty of seeking peace in the Middle East.”

Syria accused Israel yesterday of driving the Middle East to the brink of war by annexing the heights and called for an emergency meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers to deal with the issue.

Syria said that it was holding to its 1974 ceasefire agreement with Israel but

said this did not exclude it from taking all precautions for all probabilities.

The Information Minister (Mr Ahmed Iskander Ahmed) said: “Israel’s decision to annex the Syrian Golan Heights is pushing the region anew to the verge of war.” But his Government pushed ahead with its diplomatic campaign against the sudden Israeli action. The official Syrian news agency. Sana, said Damascus had called on the 21-member Arab League to hold an urgent meeting of Foreign Ministers to discuss moves to counter the annexation.

In Tel Aviv, the Israeli Defence Minister (Mr Ariel Sharon) said yesterday that Israeli troops in the Golan Heights were not preparing for attack but had been reinforced to deter a Syrian or Palestinian strike in the wake of Israel’s annexation of the strategic plateau. “Israel plans to keep the cease-fire along the border,” Israel Radio quoted Mr Sharon as telling Israeli military reporters. But he said' that if Syrian or guerrilla forces opened fire, “the reinforced Israeli defence forces will respond.” Israel started moving large amounts of armour and supplies north after Parliament voted on Tuesday to apply Israeli law and administration to the area captured from Syria in the June 1967 war.