Barak survives no-confidence vote as raids on Lebanon resume

February 14, 2000
Web posted at: 8:52 p.m. EST (0152 GMT)

In this story: Barak links withdrawal to Syria talks Talks with Palestinians stalled as well RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- With the aid of its parliamentary opposition, Prime Minister Ehud Barak's government on Monday easily survived a no-confidence vote prompted by the conflict in southern Lebanon.

That conflict resumed Monday after a three-day lull as warplanes struck suspected guerrilla hideouts in southern Lebanon, Lebanese security officials said. Israeli warplanes attacked suspected Hezbollah guerrilla positions at the Iqlim al-Toufah hills, which overlook the 16-kilometer-deep (10-mile) zone that Israel has occupied in southern Lebanon since 1985.

	. . . . News: Wye River Memorandum Background: Mideast Timeline The West Bank in Brief Key Players Maps: Middle East Israel Land-for-peace deal Interactive: Message board

The raid was the first on Lebanon since Friday. Black smoke billowed from the area after the afternoon attack, but there was no word on casualties, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Israel offered no immediate comment on the strike, which came shortly before an alliance of Barak's One Israel coalition and the conservative Likud Party turned back the no-confidence motion. The measure was submitted by Arab parties in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Despite growing calls for a withdrawal, Barak said Israeli troops would remain in Lebanon until all chances of a peace deal with that country and Syria -- which wields great influence in Lebanon -- were exhausted.

Barak has come under growing pressure at home to withdraw troops from Lebanon ahead of a self-imposed July deadline.

The prime minister has said he prefers to pull out the troops as part of a peace agreement with Syria -- which Israelis believe would calm the situation on their northern frontier.

"I know that there is a question going around throughout the public: Why don't we do this immediately, tomorrow?" Barak said. But he added, "We cannot just throw our hands up and run away, even if there's pressure."

Increased Israeli casualties in Lebanon have made it difficult for him to resume talks with the Syrians, whom many Israelis blame for the conflict. Syria says its control in Lebanon is more limited.

INTERACTIVE MAP Golan Heights: A tug of war for peace     ALSO Israeli police battle Golan Heights protesters

The U.S.-sponsored talks broke off last month with both sides blaming the other for the lack of progress.

Barak has indicated he may quit the talks unilaterally if it becomes apparent by April or May that he cannot reach an agreement with Syria. Israel will resume talks only if Syria drops demands for up-front Israeli territorial concessions in the Golan Heights, Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy said Monday.

Israel has occupied the region since 1967. Levy also warned Syria against trying to put pressure on Israel by encouraging Hezbollah guerrilla attacks on Israeli troops and militia in southern Lebanon.

"No one should think that by activating Hezbollah he can draw blood from us and we will look the other way because of the peace (talks), or accept a condition," he said.

Israel's negotiations with the Palestinians are also bogged down, with both sides missing a Sunday deadline for a framework peace agreement.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his Fatah Revolutionary Council -- a gathering of his 132 top loyalists -- said Sunday the Palestinians are entitled to statehood this year, no later than September.

September marks the deadline for a peace treaty with Israel that would define the terms of Palestinian statehood. Arafat said Monday that a "dangerous and explosive situation" had been "brought about by the blockage in the Israeli-Palestinian talks."

"We are going round in circles a long way from peace," he said at an Islamic conference in Morocco.

Jerusalem Bureau Chief Walter Rodgers and Reuters contributed to this report.

Israel, Palestinians miss accord deadline
February 13, 2000
Hezbollah attacks Israeli targets as tensions escalate
February 12, 2000
Israeli, Palestinian summit on land transfer collapses
February 3, 2000
Israel, Palestinians launch new round of peace talks
January 30, 2000
White House: No meeting set between Clinton, Mideast leaders
January 23, 2000
Arafat describes talks with Clinton as 'fruitful'
January 20, 2000

National Council for the Golan
Israel's Institutions of Government
Office of the Israeli Prime Minister
The Middle East Network Information Center
Syrian Government
Palestinian National Authority
CIA World Factbook: Israel
CIA World Factbook: Syria

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.