The cabinet judged the situation stable and approved the trip to France of Foreign Minister Shamir, a trip decided on before the war. The next day the Prime Minister would travel to the U.S. for a week. The Foreign Minister revealed that the P.L.O. had proposed, through the Egyptian government, a ceasefire. He could not elaborate on the meetings held the previous night in Beirut between the Lebanese Christian leadership and Mr. Sharon. Neither could he relate to the talk of a "new order" in Lebanon. At the week end the French president announced that his country was willing to take part in a multi-national peace keeping force in Lebanon. Mr. Shamir reserved judgement on that issue. Excerpts:
Mr. Shamir: ...The talks will be devoted to current events connected with Operation "Peace for Galilee." I will try to explain our views, to explain the Israeli government's considerations and motives when it resolved on this operation, whose sole aim is to - protect and defend the security of Israel's citizens - primarily in Israel's north. We are in the last stages of this operation. Of our own free will and initiative we declared a cease-fire; even if there are elements which are not keeping this cease-fire, we for our part are striving as much as possible to limit fire, so as to bring about a swift and total end to military action. I will make every effort to explain to France the need to reach an effective arrangement acceptable to all sides of the difficulties which spawned the Lebanese tragedy after Lebanon's soil was occupied by foreign elements who made the Lebanese people's lives hell and turned Lebanese soil into a base for constant attacks on Israel. Israel had to react in order to defend itself. We regret all the casualties and the suffering which were and are being caused to Lebanon's citizens. We are striving and will continue to strive to ease their suffering as much as we can, and we hope that it will now be possible to reach a good and positive solution to all of Lebanon's problems, so as to bolster peace in the entire region.
Q: Did (Egyptian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Butros) Ghali appeal to you in the terrorists' name?
Mr. Shamir: I understand that they asked him to appeal to us to cease firing. But it was unnecessary, because we had stopped; and if the firing hadn't ceased, it was solely because they hadn't stopped.
Q: What is the aim of the meetings reportedly held last night between Defense Minister Sharon and the Christians in Beirut?
Mr. Shamir: I don't know exactly... but in fact there has been no substantive change in our actions. We are continuing our actions against the terrorists. I hope we will reach a total cease-fire and all military actions will cease.
Q: Is there any intention of dictating to the Lebanese the kind of government they will have?
Mr. Shamir: God forbid. We have no interest or desire to dictate anything to anybody. We are concerned solely with Israel's security. Of course, we would be happy if conditions were created in Lebanon which would enable us to live in peace with our neighbor, Lebanon, which would attain the status of a free and independent state in which a Lebanese state rules and no portion of its territory is occupied by foreign elements.
Q: Will you propose to the French government that it take part in establishing a new order in Lebanon?
Mr. Shamir: We are not talking about a "new order" or anything like that. Yesterday we started talking with U.S. government representatives about arrangements which will enable us, enable our army, to leave Lebanese soil -under conditions which will prevent the terrorist organizations from attacking Israel's citizens from Lebanese territory in the future.
Q: Are you going to meet with France's president? And secondly, President Mitterrand told the "Washington Post" that he was willing for France to participate in a multi-national force if such were created to safeguard a settlement in Lebanon. Do you have any comment?
Mr. Shamir: I don't know if I'm going to meet [Mitterand] or not. I know that France has a certain interest in Lebanon's fate. I don't know exactly what France's proposals or plans are on this subject; but I think that when I meet with French Government representatives, I will know more and we will be able to exchange views.