TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Former members of Israel's proxy, the South Lebanon Army, who fled to Israel after its withdrawal from Lebanon, asked for general amnesty to return home.
The spokesman for some 2,400 former Lebanese collaborators with Israel who resettled in north Israel since the latter pulled out from Lebanon in May 2000, said none are willing to return home because they fear being thrown in prison.
"We thank those inviting us to return, but we ask for a general amnesty to be issued by parliament for all Lebanese living in Israel so that they will be assured before returning home," said the spokesman, Youssed Hajj, a former SLA member, in an interview with United Press International.
Hajj was responding to a joint declaration by Hezbollah's chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Christian leader Gen. Michel Aoun, calling on the former SLA militiamen to return to Lebanon quickly.
Hajj said "the invitation is insufficient and not assuring," noting that many Lebanese who had fled to Israel and returned home later in response to pleas by the clergy were thrown in jail. "We do not want this to happen again to us."
Hajj lashed out at ex-SLA chief Gen. Antoine Lahd, a former Lebanese army officer, for neglecting his former militiamen and seeking his personal interests only.
"Lahd does not represent the Lebanese in Israel, in fact nobody represent us," Hajj said.
"Lahd forgot us and he is living now in Tel Aviv where he is conducting a lucrative business using our money which he stole from the SLA fund," Hajj added.
The SLA, which included Lebanese from all confessions, but mainly Christian Maronites, collapsed when Israel pulled out unconditionally from south Lebanon in May 2000, largely due to Hezbollah's guerrilla warfare.
