DATE=3/9/2000
TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP
TITLE=ISRAEL - LEBANON PULLOUT
NUMBER=6-11721
BYLINE=ANDREW GUTHRIE
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
TELEPHONE=619-3335
CONTENT=
INTRO: A pair of developments involving Israel are
drawing considerable reaction from the world press
this week. One is the renewal of talks between Israel
and the Palestinian Authority, at the behest of the
United States, after they had stalled a number of
weeks ago. The other is an Israeli cabinet decision to
reaffirm Prime Minister Ehud Barak's plan to
unilaterally withdraw his troops from the Southern
Lebanon buffer zone by July.
Israel has maintained the zone for 18 years, to head
off rocket and other attacks into Northern Israel, by
the radical Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah.
Recently, however, a growing number of fatalities
among Israeli troops in this area, has caused an
outcry from Israeli citizens who want an end to the
armed occupation.
Many observers see the move as a way for Israel to
apply more pressure on Syria, a key backer of
Hezbollah, to resume peace talks, which broke off in
West Virginia earlier this year.
The world press has been reacting to both
developments, and here with a sampling is _________
and this week's World Opinion Roundup.
TEXT: We begin with the most recent announcement
first; the resumption of talks prompted by the
entreaties of U-S Special Envoy Dennis Ross and what
some papers are calling "heavy pressure" by the United
States. Some papers are calling it a "breakthrough,"
but several Israeli dailies are critical of the news,
and at least one thinks the new May deadline for a
framework for the final talks is "impractical."
We begin in Israel, where the Tel Aviv daily Haaretz
writes:
VOICE: [Prime Minister] Barak has realized that the
simmering discontent in the territories was
leading to intensified efforts by Hamas to carry
out terrorist attacks. For his part, [Leader]
Arafat decided to resume the talks after getting
out of the stalemate all the dividends he could.
Mahmoud Abbas, [Mr.] Arafat's deputy, explained
that ... [President] Clinton, who supports
Palestinian independence, will soon leave the
public stage ... The record shows that the new
timetable, like the old ones, is only a basis
for changes and potential crises.
TEXT: In an ultra-orthodox Israeli daily Yated
Ne'eman we find this assessment:
VOICE: [Mr.] Barak yesterday went back to his old
hobby of setting target dates whose
ambitiousness matches their impracticability.
Only this time, an unmet target date could spell
violence.
TEXT: For the Palestinian perspective, we turn to Al-
Quds in East Jerusalem, where there is this editorial.
VOICE: The results of the two [Barak-Arafat] meetings
reflect primarily the good intentions of the
Palestinian side and its confidence that the
efforts of U-S Special Envoy, Dennis Ross ...
would have a positive outcome. The Palestinians
are proving again to the American partner in the
negotiations ... that they are not the side
hindering the progress of the negotiations or
putting obstacles in its path.
TEXT: For reaction in the wider area, we turn toward
Cairo, and Egypt's famed Al Ahram, which writes:
VOICE: Arabs raced to show their good intentions
toward peace... but Israel could only abort the
process. While Arabs were trying to contain
Arab anger after crazy Israeli attacks on
southern Lebanon, the Knesset voted to place
legal obstacles on Israeli withdrawal from the
Golan... Israel will realize, too late, that it
exaggerated the attempts to impose its peace
based on a naive concept that Arabs have no
other choice. Israel should not be fooled...
TEXT: Turning to the withdrawal from Southern
Lebanon, and to the Damascus daily Tishreen, we get a
Syrian view.
VOICE: There is Lebanese unanimity that [Mr.] Barak
government's intention on withdrawal from south
Lebanon by July is no more than a mine designed
to explode the situation in the region.
President [Emile] Lahoud considered such a
withdrawal a way to avoid the peace process
requirements. But he confirmed that Lebanon is
not ready to offer any guarantees to Israel in
this case...
TEXT: Within Lebanon, Beirut's An-Nahar, comments on
what it sees as a necessary condition for security
guarantees.
VOICE: [President] Lahoud believes that an Israeli
withdrawal solves a part of Israel's problem
with Lebanon... [He] is saying that Lebanon will
not be a part of any security guarantees to the
Israelis unless these security arrangements are
within a peace agreement framework.
TEXT: In Europe, there is a good deal of skepticism
about the rekindled talks between the Israelis and
Palestinians from Le Figaro, in Paris.
VOICE: Dennis Ross's deliberately vague declaration
about the mid-March meeting in Washington is
indicative of where things stand. Until further
notice, the Washington talks will in no way
resemble the Camp David or Wye Plantation talks.
But the fact remains that attention has shifted
from the Syrian track back to the Palestinian
track.
TEXT: As for German reaction, in Munich, the big
Sueddeutsche Zeitung is cautiously optimistic.
VOICE: Dennis Ross can be satisfied. The Middle East
peace process has got a new momentum... A real
breakthrough has not yet been accomplished and
basic problems like the future status of
Jerusalem have not yet been resolved. But the
two opponents sit together again, and a new
beginning has been made.
TEXT: Italy's Le Repubblica, from the capital Rome,
is somewhat optimistic as well.
VOICE: Despite all the difficulties ... [Mr.] Barak
seems to be determined to proceed simultaneously
on three peace paths... Last week he announced
Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon by July, sent
strong ... signals about a rapid solution of the
negotiation with Syria ... and now the
negotiations with the P-L-A have started
again... The risk of new violence... in
Palestinian territories ... and terrorist
attacks, as well as increasing pressure from
[President] Clinton and [Egyptian President
Hosni] Mubarak must have convinced [Mr.] Barak
that there cannot be a peace accord in the
region without [Mr.] Arafat.
TEXT: In Spain's capital, Madrid, the big daily El
Pais says of the Israeli withdrawal:
VOICE: [Mr.] Barak's move in announcing the
evacuation of Lebanon is a tactical one in all
respects, except psychologically, because it
presages more withdrawals elsewhere - - from the
occupied territories, for example. If after the
withdrawal has been completed, the border region
does not go up in flames - - and Syria would be
interested that it not do so - - then the
Israeli public will have come to regard
withdrawal as not tantamount to surrender, and
everyone will be better off.
TEXT: With that, we conclude this sampling of the
global press on the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian
talks, and the reaffirmation by the Israeli cabinet of
the July date for a pullout of Israeli forces from
Lebanon.
NEB/ANG/gm
09-Mar-2000 16:40 PM EDT (09-Mar-2000 2140 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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