Labor Party leader meets UNIFIL chief
Israel-Lebanon, Politics, 1/16/1998

An Israeli Labor Party leader and a strong supporter of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon on Wednesday met for the first time with the chief commander of United Nations peacekeeping troops in south Lebanon.

Yossi Beilin, a member of the Israeli Knesset, met with Maj. Gen. Joije Konrote, at the United Nations headquarters in Jerusalem, few hours after a booby-trapped video-tape exploded at a crossing on the Lebanese-Israeli border, killing an Israeli-allied militia man, injuring an Israeli bomb expert and two Israeli civilians.

Accompanying Konrote was UNIFIL spokesman Timor Gooks, who has been in this post since 1979.

"We believe that it is in Israel's national interest to leave Lebanon, leave this death trap," Beilin reportedly told Konrote.

He added that U.N. officials "know better than others what exactly the situation there is and possibly how things could be if we left."

Israel has been occupying of a strip of land in south Lebanon since 1985, maintaining that its occupation is necessary to protect its towns from guerrilla attacks.

But the Israeli occupation has proved to be costly, and Israelis have been calling for a unilateral withdrawal.

Previous Stories:
  Labor Party official warns of great danger   (12/26/1997)
  Lebanon dismisses Israeli withdrawal offer   (12/4/1997)
  Lahd begs Israel not to leave him   (11/24/1997)

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