Israel to give shelter to several SLA members

Israeli Army radio said on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak decided to permit hundreds of men from the pro-Israel South Lebanon Army militia to stay in Israel following the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from south Lebanon.

The Israeli report added that an Israeli team led by the "coordinator of the Israeli activities in south Lebanon," Uri Lubrani, is currently searching for sites where those SLA members can be given shelter. The radio indicated that the chairman of an Israeli agricultural village called for establishing agricultural villages to contain members of the SLA and their families.

In the same framework, one of Barak's main aides, Danny Yatoum, told the Israeli Radio that his government will find means to protect members of he SLA. He said, "Members of the SLA army and the civilian relief workers are all Lebanese citizens, and their place is south Lebanon, eventually and they will decide whether they will stay in south Lebanon.

He continued, "We will help them to find another place for staying in Israel or in overseas if they will ask for that."

He made it clear those members of the SLA will be permitted to live in Israel if they ask for it.