Our forces are staying, says Israel

Press, 10 January 1984, Page 8

Our forces are staying, says Israel

NZPA-Reuter Jerusalem Israel insisted yesterday that its troops would leave Lebanon only when Syrian forces also left, dismissing reports that it was planning a unilateral withdrawal from the country. The Cabinet Secretary, Mr Dan Meridor, said after the Cabinet’s weekly session that Israel stood by its withdrawal agreement, signed on May 17, with Lebanon and had not weakened its resolve to see Syrian troops leave. “One condition of the May 17 agreement is the withdrawal of Syria from Lebanon. There is no truth in reports on a change in Israel’s position on this issue,” Mr Meridor said. A senior military source said last week that Israel had quietly dropped its demand that Syrian troops leave Lebanon along with the Israelis.

There have been persistent reports of deep divisions among Army officers and the Defence Ministry over

the advisability of a further withdrawal of Israeli troops to reduce casualties and costs.

The Chief-of-Staff, Lieu-tenant-General Moshe Levi, said in a newspaper interview on Friday that the continued Syrian presence in Lebanon “did not have a negative impact on the balance of power there as far

as Israel is concerned.” Mr Meridor said that the Cabinet was aware of General Levi’s views but had taken no decision on a troop redeployment. He said that various plans were under discussion.

Syria rejects the IsraelLebanon accord and has tried to convince the Beirut Government to abrogate it. An estimated 40,000 Syrian troops occupy north and eastern Lebanon and about 20,000 Israeli soldiers control south Lebanon.

Mr Meridor said that Israel’s continuing demand for a Syrian withdrawal was relayed by the Prime Minister, Mr Yitzhak Shamir, in meetings last week with the United States special envoy, Donald Rumsfeld.

He repeated that Israel’s main goal in Lebanon was assuring security of its northern border, which until Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in June, 1982, had been the target of shelling by Palestinian guerrillas based in south Lebanon.