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Opinion

Page 6
The Michigan Daily
Vol. XCII, No. 56-S
Ninety-two Years of Editorial Freedom
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
Brickley for GOP
INCE RONALD Reagan took control of the
Republicans, the party has taken a major
turn to the right. All four Republican can-
didates for governor have shown tendencies of
swerving off on that tangent, but Lt. Gov.
James Brickley has not succumbed to rigid
conservative ideology at the expense to prac-
tical policies.
Brickley and Democrat James Blanchard,
both front runners in their respective guber-
natorial primaries, have been accused of run-
ning bland campaigns. But unlike Blanchard,
Brickley has not been afraid to address the
issues. And since he has served two terms as
second in command in Lansing, Brickley has an
advantage over the other three Republican
candidates in dealing with Michigan's
problems.
On the issue of state budgetary allocations,
Brickley has vowed greater. support for the
rapidly declining educational, system of the
state. And as a former president of Eastern-
Michigan University, he is likely to be sensitive
to the problems of higher educational in-
stitutions.
Brickley has softened the adamantly pro-
business views of his opponents in the primary
to a more comprehensive approach of
promising to cut 'down on regulation without
significantly changing the tax structure. Thus,
Brickley remains a progressive as he has been
unwilling to use tax cuts as a platform for
slashing social programs.
James Brickley offers a middle-of-the-road
approach to a party that has swerved sharply to
the right. And in Brickley the Republicans have
someone committed to a strong business
climate, but still devoted to the needs of the
peo le of Michi-an first.

Friday, August 6, 1982

The Michigan Daily

An Israeli look
at war in Lebanon

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Yossi Gal works for the
North American division of
the Israeli Foreign Ministry
and is traveling around the
United States to explain
Israel's policies in its invasion
of Lebanon.
Recently he was in Ann Ar-
bor and spoke with Daily
Opinion Page Editor Kent
Redding about the invasion
and Israeli objectives.
Dialogue
Daily: Why are you in Ann Ar-
bor?
Gal: I'm here in the United
States on what I call an infor-
mation mission, in.order to bring
to the American public some of
the real facts about the war in
Lebanon. The reason we are
doing this is because we believe
that, in addition to the war bet-
ween Israel and the PLO
terrorists, there is also another
war of propaganda in this coun-
try waged at us by the PLO and
others supporting the PLO's;
claims.
Daily: What are Israel's objec-
tives in invading Lebanon?
Gal: Well first of all, the term
invasion is really not the right
term here. Israel is not engaged
in any war with Lebanon, or with
the Lebanese. And Israel is not
engaged in any war with the
Palestinians. But we do have a
war with the PLO, which is a
terrorist organization.
Now what are our objectives,
and what should be done to finish,
this war? The United States, they
Lebanese, and the Israeli gover-.
nment share three basic prin-
ciples. Those are first the with-
drawal of all the foreign troops,
from Lebanon, primarily the
PLO. And also the Syrians. In the
first place, they have nothing to
do there and they should go back
to their country and the Israelis
should also go back home.
The second thing on which we
all agree, is the time has come for
Lebanon to be Lebanese. We
think that a strong government,
should be established in Lebanon.
If everyone is out, we believe
there is finally a chance for a free
Lebanon in charge of its own
business.

The last thing to finish the war,
is the need for Israel to finally
have peace on its northern fron-
tier. We've been subjected to
countless'actseofeterror against
civilians.
Daily: Many have charged that
this is Israel's first war which
doesn't involve an actual threat
to its existence. How do you react
to that statement?
Gal: Well, my reaction is:Don't
expect the Israelis to wait until
the threat is imminent or until the
threat is so overwhelming that it
creates a problem for the
security and the existence of
Israel. It was in the process of
developing into something like
this and we had to go and stop it.
Daily: Some are saying that
the Israeli invasion of Lebanon
will actually cause the PLO and
of other Palestinians to become
more radical and turn to greater
acts of terrorism.
Gal: Quite to the contrary. I
think now that the PLO as a
military force is over, we can ex-
pect better chances to see
Palestinian leaders in the West
Bank and Gaza coming forward
and joining the peace process.
Those who tried before the war in
Lebanon-who talked to us
Israelis or to the
Americans-were assassinated a
day later.
Daily: If the PLO does, in fact,
recognize Israel's right to exist,
should the United States
negotiate with them?
Gal: The PLO by definition
cannot recognize Israel. The
definition of the PLO is its char-
ter. Article 9 of this charter
speaks about the armed struggle
being the only way to liberate
Palestine. And other articles talk
about the liquidation of Israel and
about the establishment of their
own state in its place.
Daily: How does your gover-
nment respond to ads placed in
papers around the country spon-
sored by American Jews, calling
for Israel to withdraw from
Lebanon?
Gal: The call for Israel to with-
draw from Lebanon is not really
needed because we want to with-
draw from Lebanon. We want to
go back home. We will go back
home once the problem is solved
to the satisfaction of all sides-
that is Lebanon, the United
States, and Israel.

Daily: What about reports that
Israel is indeed helping the
Lebanese, butdnot the Palestinian
civilians.
Gal: As far as the Palestinians
are concerned, Israel, the United
States and Egypt have for years
been discussing the Camp David
accords and the autonomy
arrangement because we believe,
and your government and the
Egyptian government believes,
that this is the transitional
solution for the Palestinian
question. And we think the thing
to do now is to move with these
negotiations and move ahead
with the autonomy talks. The
problem is that neither the
Palestinians nor the Jordanians
are willing to join the negotiating
table.
Daily: What will happen to
Israel's relations with Egypt as a
result of this invasion?
Gal: Well, I do not think that
our relations with Egypt should
be affected by what's going on in
Lebanon. We have the peace
agreement, and we have all other
documents related to the peace
agreement that both Egypt and
Israel have signed. I don't see
why there should be any differen-
ce in the relationship.
Daily: But how can you reach
agreement when more Jewish
settlements are going up on the
West Bank and Israel is in
Lebanon?
Gal: I don't really see the con-
nections between the future of the
West Bank and Gaza and the set-
tlements. The policy of Israel is
very clear and very simple. As
long as you do not take private
property from people and use
only governmental land on the
West Bank, it is perfectly alright
for Jews to settle wherever they
want. The fact that settlements
are there is not going to deter-
mine the final status of the West
Bank.
Daily: What do you see as the
final solution to the Palestinian
problem?
Gal: Well, don't expect to solve
such a complicated issue as the
the Palestinian question that in-
volves such an emotional conflict
of 50 or 60 years in two, three, or
four years. A lot of patience is
needed. Especially because of the
background. There have been so
many wars and so much hatred.
Camp David is not a final
agreement. The whole autonomy
thing is a transitional agreement.
We agreed that there should be
an autonomy (on the West Bank)
for five years. But the whole
process must be gradual.

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