JERUSALEM — Twenty years after the U.N. Security Council demanded that Israel pull all its troops out of southern Lebanon "forthwith," the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be getting closer to doing just that.
In what could be a remarkable initiative by Netanyahu, one that would end a painful chapter in Israel's recent history while burnishing his reputation as a peacemaker, Israel is discussing bringing back its troops without a formal diplomatic accord with the Lebanese government or its prime sponsor, Syria.
So far, however, Syria and Lebanon remain skeptical that Israel really intends to pull out of Lebanon. Their advice to Netanyahu is: just do it.
Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon, the former general who masterminded Israel's 1982 invasion of central Lebanon, has now publicly joined the ranks of those advocating a pullback. He was expected to present his own plan to the Cabinet today for Israel to make a phased, unilateral withdrawal, according to the Maariv newspaper.
"We are ready, in stages, [while] monitoring the results, to carry out a withdrawal in Lebanon," Sharon told Israel's Channel 2 television Saturday.
But he warned that, if the withdrawal takes place, Israel will hold Lebanon's government responsible for any future cross-border attacks by Hezbollah or other militia groups. He hinted that Israel would reserve the right to retaliate strongly if that happened.
Two weeks ago, Netanyahu announced for the first time that Israel is now willing to withdraw its troops based on U.N. Security Council Resolution 425--the March 19, 1978, directive telling Israel to leave Lebanon and to respect Lebanese borders and sovereignty. But Netanyahu's offer was conditional: "If the Lebanese government cooperates with us in the establishment of appropriate security arrangements . . ."
According to government officials, Israel wants assurances that Lebanon's regular army will fill the void left when Israel pulls out, not the Hezbollah Shiite militia, the main group opposing Israel's 1,500 troops in Lebanon and the Southern Lebanese Army, a 2,500-member pro-Israeli militia.
Israel also apparently wants assurances that its SLA allies in southern Lebanon will not be harmed.
Lebanon and Syria so far are rejecting talks with Israel about any such arrangements, insisting that Resolution 425 means that Israel should pull out without conditions.
