Just before Cyrus Vance arrived in Jerusalem last week, Israel's Premier Menachem Begin caused a stir with a public admission: Israeli artillery regularly fires into south Lebanon to shoo away Palestinian guerrillas from Lebanese Christian enclaves in the border area. In fact, during a recent seven-day period, Israeli batteriessometimes directed by observers in spotter planesfired 16 times at Palestinian forces near the seven Christian villages in the border area; during the same week, the Israelis manned two observation posts in Lebanese territory and sent in seven patrolsone of which got into a firefight with Palestinian commandos.
TIME has learned that Israel's involvement...
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