ISRAEL: FORMER ISRAELI POLITICIANS AND ARMY OFFICERS TURN OUT FOR OPENING OF TEL AVIV RESTAURANT OWNED BY EX-SLA COMMANDER ANTOINE LAHAD

Record ID: 230556

  • Title: ISRAEL: FORMER ISRAELI POLITICIANS AND ARMY OFFICERS TURN OUT FOR OPENING OF TEL AVIV RESTAURANT OWNED BY EX-SLA COMMANDER ANTOINE LAHAD
  • Date: 30th October 2003
  • Summary: (EU) HAIM, SOUTHERN LEBANON (FILE) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS: SLA COMMANDER ANTOINE LAHAD WITH ISRAELI LIASON OFFICER (3 SHOTS) 0.19 TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (OCTOBER 30, 2003) (REUTERS) (NIGHTSHOTS) 2. EXTERIOR OF BYBLOS RESTAURANT, OPENED BY FORMER SOUTH LEBANON ARMY (SLA) COMMANDER ANTOINE LAHAD 0.27 3. SCU: SECURITY MAN OUTSIDE RESTAURANT 0.33 4. INTERIORS OF RESTAURANT - BARTENDER MIXING DRINK AT BAR 0.40 5. CU: FORMER ISRAELI DEFENCE FORCE (IDF) MAJOR GENERAL YOSSEF PELED (BLUE SHIRT, GLASSES) SEATED AT BAR 0.50 6. CLOSEUP OF BARTENDER PUTTING ICE INTO GLASS 1.05 7. COCKTAIL WAITRESS WITH DRINKS 1.15 8. VARIOUS OF FORMER SLA GENERAL AND RESTAURANT OWNER ANTOINE LAHAD (WHITE SHIRT, TIE, GREY HAIR) MINGLING WITH GUESTS, MANY OF WHOM ARE FORMER ISRAELI DEFENCE FORCE (IDF) SOLDIERS AND FORMER CABINET MINISTERS (3 SHOTS) 1.40 9. LAHAD SEATED WITH FORMER ISRAELI CABINET MINISTERS, INCLUDING FORMER ISRAELI DEPUTY DEFENCE MINISTER AND FORMER BRIGADIER GENERAL EFRAIM SNEI (2 SHOTS) 1.57 10. CLOSEUP LAHAD 2.02 11. FORMER ISRAELI DEPUTY DEFENCE MINISTER AND FORMER BRIGADIER GENERAL EFRAIM SNEI (ON LEFT OF SCREEN), SEATED WITH FORMER SLA GENERAL ANTOINE LAHAD 2.07 12. SOUNDBITE (English) FORMER ISRAELI DEPUTY DEFENCE MINISTER AND FORMER BRIGADIER GENERAL EFRAIM SNEI SAYING: "I came here to be with an ally and friend, a faithful ally and good friend, and that is why we are here. Not only me, there are many commanders of the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) who are here today because they remember a good friend -- a very, very faithful ally of us, that is why we are here." SOUNDBITE (English) FORMER SLA GENERAL ANTOINE LAHAD SAYING: "Thank you very much." 2.36 13. FORMER ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER YITZHAK MORDECHAI (IN CHECK SUIT) WALKING UP STAIRS 2.42 14. YITZHAK, WHO IS ALSO A FORMER IDF MAJOR GENERAL, SEATED AT TABLE 2.47 15. LAHAD SHAKING HANDS WITH PATRON 2.53 16. HAS: MORE OF LAHAD MINGLING WITH GUESTS 3.00 17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) ANTOINE LAHAD, FORMER SLA GENERAL SAYING: "After the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, I felt I had nothing to do in Lebanon, I appreciate the Israeli people who supported me, who support me today, and who have supported me and the other ex-SLA soldiers, and that's why I decided that this is the place where I can maintain contacts with Israeli friends." 3.30 18. PATRONS SEATED AT BAR 3.37 19. MORE OF PATRONS SEATED AT TABLE 3.42 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 14th November 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: HAIM, SOUTHERN LEBANON, TEL AVIV ISRAEL
  • Country: Israel
  • Reuters ID: LVA9L8CKEMKR8PJ03EX041BMTF6C
  • Story Text: Former Israeli politicians and army officers turn out for opening
    of Tel Aviv restaurant owned by ex-SLA commander


    Former Israeli Cabinet ministers and ex-military
    officers turned out in big numbers for the opening of a
    restaurant in Tel Aviv run by the former senior military
    commander in the South Lebanese Army (SLA).

    Antoine Lahad, the former head of the SLA, the Lebanese
    militia which supported the Israeli Defence Force (IDF)
    until its withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, opened his
    restaurant, Byblos, in the heart of Tel Aviv on Thursday
    (October 30) evening.

    Former Israeli cabinet ministers, including defence and
    deputy defence ministers, and senior ex-IDF officers
    mingled at the opening and paid tribute to the restaurant's
    new owner.

    "I came here to be with an ally and friend, faithful
    ally and good friend," said former Israeli Deputy Defence
    Minister Efraim Snei.

    For his part, Lahad said he decided to open the
    restaurant after moving to Israel from Lebanon.

    "After the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, I felt I had
    nothing to do in Lebanon, I appreciate the Israeli people
    who support me, who support me today, and who have
    supported me and the other ex-SLA soldiers, and that's why
    I decided that this is the place where I can maintain
    contacts with Israeli friends," said Lahad.

    The SLA was a Christian militia financed and trained by
    Israel during its 15-year occupation of Israel's
    self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon.

    At its height, the SLA was made up of about 2,500
    Christian, Shiite Muslim and Druse fighters. The group was
    formed in the late 1970s by the late Major Saad Haddad, who
    sought help from Israel as he battled Palestinian
    guerrillas. Lahad took over command of the SLA from Haddad
    in 1984.

    In June 1999, after the election of Ehud Barak as Prime
    Minister of Israel, the SLA started withdrawing from the
    northernmost part of the self-delcared security zone. Some
    of the SLA headed to Israel in fear of reprisals in
    Lebanon, others surrendered to the Lebanese.

    Lahad's restaurant is quite unique in that not only is
    the restaurant owned by a former SLA general, many of the
    waiters and staff are also ex-SLA soldiers.

    Now more than 70, Lahad named the restaurant Byblos
    after an ancient Phoenician city in what is now Lebanon.

    It will serve Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine.





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