FRIDAY, MAY 1,	1981 A 1 8  
SYRIA' AND ISRAEL have got themselves into a cians and generals who ache, in the name of protect-pretty fix in. Lebanon. Both are guilty of the same ing LebanonÛªs Christians, to exploit the SyriansÛª dis-basic offens^: contempt for Lebanese sovereignty, comfiture. That Israel is in the middle of an election They have assumed a right to use particular geo- campaign doesnÛªt help.</br></br>for their own purposes. They have thereby made words are potential'dynamite, and the United States themselves hostage to an extent to the very forces has used some ill-chosen ones. Richard Allen of the they are trying to manipulate. The result is that they White House staff gave the Israelis encouragement are, conceivably, close to war.	for ÛÏhot pursuitÛ of Palestinian border guerrillas,</br></br>To pin down the start of a new phase in Lebanon and they have used it as license for attacks all over is never easy, but it will do to start this one with the Lebanon. Secretary Haig,.on his recent Mideast trip, recent attempt of one of the Christian militias, the seemed to stumble briefly into what may have been a Phalange, to strengthen its position against the Phalange trap. He condemned the Syrians alone Syrians. Suspecting an Israeli plot to undermine its without apparently realizing how his condemnation forward buffer position in Lebanon, Syria responded would affect the situation. Now American diplomats fiercely. Suspecting a Syrian plot to undermine its are scrambling to cool things off. forward buffer position in Lebanon, Israel responded The most interesting aspect of American dipio-in kind. In recent days they have abandoned some, macy is the approach to the Soviet Union, SyriaÛªs pa-though not all, of the longstanding tacit restrictions tron and therefore a power to be reckoned with on at on the scope of their confrontation in Lebanon, least the Lebanese part of the Middle East scene. Syrians have introduced helicopters; Israelis have Last week Secretary Haig was lambasting the Krem-shot some of them down. Syrians have moved up lin, again, as the greatest threat going to world peace, surface-to-air missiles; Israelis have uttered grave and this week he asked the Kremlin to help defuse warnings in return.	Lebanon. So far Moscow has refused to consider a</br></br>Syria feels isolated, and much besieged on other diplomatic role except to condemn Israel. It has its counts these days, and the question is whether it can own interest, however, in seeing that its client does find a face-saving way to back off. For Israel the not go over the edge, perhaps dragging it along. The question is whether it can control those of its politi- same goes for the United States and its client, Israel.</br></br>THOUGH NEARLY ALL eyes on Capitol Hill are momentarily riveted on the center ring where the Great Ax-Throw Act is in progress, another act is getting under way that may feature even more rough-and-tumble political gymnastics: ItÛªs the Clean Air Act, which is due for congressional reauthorization by the end of September. For a while, it looked as if cool heads might prevail to avoid bitter wrangling; but unless a bipartisan coalition of legislators does some quick footwork, there may be little hope for timely, reasonable action.