Mr. President. I am deeply shocked and saddened by the senseless slaughter that took place at the Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut late last week. Israel claimed that its forces occupied West Beirut in an effort to avoid bloodshed following the assassination of Presidentelect Gemayal. Yet. according to press accounts. including one report quoting an Israeli Government source as saying that Israel knew in advance about Lebanese militia plans to enter the refugee camps. Israeli forces did nothing to prevent the militia forces from entering the camps. By all accounts Israeli forces were not directly involved in the killings and apparently even tried to expel the militia forces once it was known what the militia was doing. nevertheless Israel must bear a share of the responsibility for what happened at camps it controlled. Given the conflict and the animosity that have razed Lebanon for 7 years. Israel should have known what would happen by permitting militia forces to enter the refugee camps. More generally. what happened in Beirut is the logical consequence of an Israeli policy of arming private Lebanese militias and giving them free rein in the areas occupied by Israeli forces. Israel should now withdraw entirely from Beirut and turn over security for the city to the Lebanese army and whatever U.N. and Western forces are willing to assist the Lebanese in protecting innocent civilians.