Israeli asks France to work out a deal on Lebanon, Syria
Regional, Politics, 3/2/1998

Editors Note: this story supersedes the other two stories in todays edition on Syria-Israel and Lebanon-Israel. Time limitations prevented proper integration.

The two special envoys of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to Tel Aviv Monday morning after a secret visit to Paris where they reportedly met with US special envoy David Newton who had met with Syrian officials in Damascus a few days ago. Cabinet secretary Dany Naveh and Netanyahu's political advisor Uzi Arad refused to speak to reporters about the outcome of their trip to Paris. "I am against leaking the news about our trip to Paris and of course I would not be ready to discuss anything related to this trip," said Naveh in an interview with Israel radio.

Sources in the Israeli prime minister¹s office denied that Naveh and Arad¹s mission was related to Syria. They were reacting to press reports which suggested that Netanyahu secretly sent Naveh and Arad to Paris in order to ask France to serve as a mediator in an attempt to reach an agreement on an Israeli army withdrawal from the security zone in Lebanon. Naveh and Arad met with senior officials in the French government, reports said.

Press reports from Damascus said that Newton met last weekend in Damascus with senior officials in Syria, including Foreign Minister Farouk Al Share', and discussed with them the "difficulties in the peace process, due to Israel¹s intransigent positions." Newton's talks in Damascus were seen in Israel is part of preliminary contacts that have been made between Israel and Syria, through American mediation, in an effort to reach an agreement on holding talks to find an acceptable formula for renewing the negotiations between the two countries.

Israel, meanwhile, has asked the US and many European countries to help draft an initiative that would lead to Israel's unilateral withdrawal from occupied south Lebanon. Israeli diplomatic missions and embassies in a number of European capitals were instructed to seek the help of their host countries. Defense minister Yitzhak Mordechai will embark in his talks with his French counterpart on Thursday on the Lebanon issue and Netanyahu is also expected to follow suit when he tours three European countries by the end of this week.

Mordechai¹s advisor, Avi Benayahu, said the defense minister "will try to enlist the French in becoming involved in the Israeli army withdrawal from the security zone, but first we must assure security arrangements.² Defense sources said Mordechai will not discuss with his hosts the possibility of a French military presence in Lebanon.

The French Foreign Minister said France is willing to ³relay messages² in the event of a possible Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon. ³We are ready to talk and provide services to the Israelis, Lebanese and Syrians, because the three problems are linked to one another,² he said.

The statements by Netanyahu and Mordechai brought about an argument in the government regarding the issue of unilateral withdrawal, with some ministers expressing support for an unconditional and unilateral withdrawal of Israel from south Lebanon and others opposed to such a step. Tourism minister Moshe Katsav and science minister Michael Eitan were in favor of an immediate withdrawal from Lebanon.

Katsav said he believed that "solutions should be found for the problem of south Lebanon, even if there is a need for drastic and difficult decisions.² He said the problem in Lebanon is not political but military and noted that it is "the duty of the Israeli army to find solutions for protecting the country from the international border."

But other ministers, such as former chief of staff during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon Rafael Eitan, are opposed to a unilateral withdrawal. Eitan argued that all debate on Israel's unilateral withdrawal from South Lebanon "damages the soldiers¹ morale and strengthens Hizbullah.

Justice Minister Tzahi Hanegbi said there have been two in-depth discussions within the cabinet on the issue of withdrawal from south Lebanon and had involved representatives of the foreign minister, the army, the military intelligence, analysts and experts. He said that all those who participated in those meetings were unanimous in opposing a withdrawal from Lebanon so long as there is nobody to talk to there and there is nobody who will guarantee the security of Israel¹s northern settlements.

The opposition expressed mixed reactions to Netanyahu¹s statements on the possibility of a withdrawal from Lebanon. Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak, also a former chief of staff, said that the withdrawal from Lebanon must come in conjunction with renewed negotiations with Syria. Other senior members of the Labor Party said they were in favor of a unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon, and welcomed Netanyahu¹s statements on the issue.

Knesset member Haim Ramon told the press that "under the pressure of the public and the events, the prime minister and defense minister were forced to agree, at least outwardly, to what they rejected only a year ago. The decision does not mean waiting for an agreement with Lebanon, which the chances of are virtually nil, but rather the gradual start of a withdrawal.²

Previous Stories:
  Israel should withdraw from Lebanon unilaterally says Israeli official   (3/2/1998)
  Syria challenges Israel to move forward on peace   (3/2/1998)

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