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30

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1991

Israel Holds Tight
On Hostage Swap

HELEN DAVIS

Foreign Correspondent

A

s the Lebanese
hostage affair ap-
proaches its end-
game, Israel continues to
rule out the release of
Lebanese Shi'ite prisoners
under its control in
exchange for Western
hostages who are still held
by the Islamic fundamenta-
list Hezbollah movement.
At the same time,
however, a senior political
source in Jerusalem said all
Lebanese captives held by
Israel and its proxy militia,
the South Lebanese Army,
would be exchanged for four
Israeli servicemen still miss-
ing in Lebanon.
The source emphasized
that Lebanese captives to be
released in such cir-
cumstances will include
Sheik Abed Karim Obeid, a
Shi'ite cleric and spiritual
leader of Hezbollah (the Par-
ty of God), who was seized
from his South Lebanese
home in an Israeli comman-
do raid three years ago.
The source declined to con-
firm that talks between
Israeli officials and United
Nations' mediators were
under way, but it is
understood that chief Israeli
negotiator "Uri Lubrani was
this week engaged in inten-
sive secret talks in Paris,
which has won a reputation
as the "clearing house" for
hostage deals.
Only one of the four miss-
ing Israeli servicemen, Air
Force navigator Capt. Ron
Arad, is believed to be alive,
but Israel is demanding ir-
refutable proof about the
fate of the remaining three
before it allows a com-
prehensive release of its
Lebanese prisoners.
According to Israeli offi-
cials, the Shi'ites being held
by both Israel and the South
Lebanese Army were ap-
prehended while attempting
to attack Israel or Israeli
targets in the South
Lebanese security zone.
So far, Israel has returned
more than 60 Lebanese
prisoners and the bodies of
nine Hezbollah guerrillas
who were killed in clashes
with Israeli forces. In return,
Israel has received proof
that three of its original list
of seven missing servicemen
were dead.
"To anticipate that Israel
will make further gestures
purely in response to the
release of Western hostages

is a misplaced expectation,"
said Joseph Alpher, head of
Tel Aviv University's
Center for Strategic Studies.
"We have a very strong
stake in ensuring the return
of the one Israeli prisoner
whom we know to be alive,
as well as thd remains of the
three other Israelis who are
missing in Lebanon and who
are believed to be dead," he
said.
"If that is fulfilled, we will
return' all the Lebanese
prisoners held by Israel and
the South Lebanese Army."
The pro-Israel militia nom-
inally controls the Khiam
jail in South Lebanon where
more than 300 Shi'ite
prisoners are held.
The release recently of
two prominent Western
hostages, Terry Waite and
Thomas Sutherland, coupled
with the prospect of freedom

4

-4

It's no coincidence
that two Western
hostages were set
free after the U.S.
and Britain
effectively
absolved Iran and
Syria from
complicity in the
bombing of Pan Am
flight 103.

for the remaining three U.S.
hostages in the near future
does not directly touch the
Middle East peace process.
However, the fact that old
molds are being broken and
that Israel is negotiating
with its Arab foes, albeit in
the shadows and through
UN mediators, has aroused
guarded optimism that this
will have a positive spill-
over effect on the broader
Arab-Israeli arena.
It has raised hopes that the
successful hostage deals will
lubricate the diplomatic pro-
cess and improve the at-
mosphere for direct talks
between Israel and its
neighbors.
It is thought also that the
hostage negotiations will
contribute to the process of
smashing taboos and foster-
ing a climate of conciliation
and confidence.
More immediately and
directly, however, the end of
the hostage crisis is expected
to have tangible effects in
three specific areas of Mid-
dle East politics. Firstly, it
signals the death knell of the

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