The World : Phone Tap of Begin Told

The Israeli newspaper Davar reported that Rafael Eitan, now a member of Parliament from the right-wing Tehiya Party, had Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s telephone tapped when he was military chief of staff. Eitan led the Israeli army into Lebanon in June, 1982. The newspaper said Eitan ordered communications officers to monitor the former Israeli leader’s conversations from the “basement of a luxury office building” during 1980-1981. The report said the phones of three generals were also bugged. Begin, who resigned in 1983, was both defense minister and prime minister. There was no immediate comment from Eitan or Begin on the report.