ISRAEL: CONTRAVERSY CONTINUES

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06806135
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: July 25, 2019
• Case Number: F-2018-00205
• Publication Date: September 23, 1982

Approved for Release: 2019/07/16 C06806135
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Director of (b)(3)
Central (b)(6)
Intelligence
OCPAS/CIG
attonal Intelligence Daily
Thursday
23 September 1982
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CPAS NW 82-2231X
TCS 2923/82
23 September 1982
Copy 265
Approved for Release: 2019/07/16 C06806135
roved for Release. 2019/07/16 C06806135
Approved for Release: 2019/07/16 C06806135
Approved for Release: 2019/07/16 C06806135
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ISRAEL: Controversy Continues
Prime Ith.nister Begin's success in defeating Labor-Zed motwns
7.71 the Knesset yesterday will strengthen his convicti.on that he has
enough support to ride out the controversy over the massacre.
Begin defeated motions calling for an Independent
inquiry into the incident and criticizing the government's
decision to enter West Beirut. One minister resigned
from the cabinet after voting against the coalition, but
the pivotal National Religious Party appears to have
supported the government.
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Protests over the incident have spread to Israel's
Arab population. According to press accounts, demonstra-
tions against the government occurred yesterday in several
predominantly Arab towns in the north and in Arab-
populated areas of central and southern Israel. Police
opened fire on some of the protestors, seriously wounding
several of them. (b)(3)
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Labor is clearly disappointed over its failure to
attract more support, but it almost certainly will con-
tinue its effort to wean dissident coalition members
from Begin in the hope of forming a new government. Even
if Begin fell and Labor were asked to form a new govern-
ment, however, a Labor coalition would be unstable be-
cause it probably would be deoendpnt 7n the religious
parties.
Labor leaders support President Reagan's peace plan,
but many of the prospective members of a Labor-dominated
coalition would have reservations about the plan. This
is particularly the case with the hawkish National Re-
ligious Party, which has traditionally opposed territorial
compromise on the West Bank.
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TCS 2923/82
23 September 1982
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Approved for Release: 2019/07/16 C06806135