The Lebanese Civil War Lebanese Civil War 1975-1990

Reasons, resolution, effects/significance of the conflict on the region

Israel’s invasion of Lebanon 1978 & 1982

Reasons for military intervention/invasion, resolution, effects/significance of conflict on region

Events at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps

Effects of the massacres on domestic and international opinion

http://jfjfp.com/?p=54431

??? v ???

Christians v Muslims

PLO v ???

Rich v Poor

The quick / simple version?

The Lebanese Civil War • Broke out in 1975 due to deep divisions that had developed in Lebanon. • Divisions included:

– Rich v poor – Christians v Muslims – PLO v Israelis – PLO v Lebanese – ‘state within a state’ – ‘Rejectionists’ v Camp David supports – …

• Very brutal – civil wars often are • Israel became involved because…

– Sympathy with Christians – Block any ext. of Syrian power over Lebanon – Limit or destroy PLO camps & militants – …

• Very costly to Israel – Money – Casualties – Public opinion – at home and abroad

• Massacres

The Lebanese Civil War • Consequences

– Formation of Hezbollah – Christian regime weakened – Lebanon slid further into economic & political chaos – violence & anarchy – Syria cont to occupy country – Strengthened Syria’s ties with Soviet Union – For Israel:

• Failed to achieve its objectives • Public opinion • Israel’s northern settlements no more secure than before war • Conflict between PLO and Israelis exacerbated • Weakness & divisions in IDF exposed • Israel more dependent on US economic assistance

– For PLO: • Not good for leadership • Arafat blamed for defeat • HQ moved to Tunis • PLO fractured & weakened

The (more) detailed version?

The (more) detailed version?

‘A purely religious delineation of the conflict overlooked the complexity of allegiances.’

‘The Maronite leadership continued to present the question as one of Muslim-Christian strife, all the better to depict the issue as a religious

clash to the outside world.’

Oversimplification is dangerous.

Key terms / words

• Maronite • Muslim • Christian • Phalange • Palestinian • Israel • Lebanon • National Pact • Census • …

Lebanon & Civil War?

• Under the Ottomans

• Under the French (mandate)

• Independence & Palestinians

• Civil War

• Israeli invasion

Lebanon?

Lebanon

Background • Pre-WW1:

– Modern Leb actually = three semi-autonomous provinces of Ottoman Empire.

• Mount Lebanon

• Beirut

• Damascus

– Pop. of Mount Lebanon:

• Maronite Christian = 80%

• Druze = 10%

• Sunni & Shia Muslims = 10%

Lebanon pre-WW1

Background – French Mandate • French took control of areas that = today’s Lebanon &

Syria: – Laid long-term foundations to conflicts in second half of

20thC & into 21stC – Annexed additional Muslim areas & separated it from Syria &

called it ‘Greater Lebanon’ • Economically viable but... • Altered ethnic composition of pop. of Mount Lebanon

– Predominately Maronite Christian enclave into just one group in larger multi-communal society (about half = Christian)

• Muslim populations preferred to be part of Syria – part of majority group – Syrian nationalists felt same – Both groups = anti-French

• Maronite Christians favoured creation of Greater Lebanon – Hoped French would help them become dominant group

• Origin of hostility between Christians & Muslims in Lebanon that continues to this day

The French Mandate

Background – French Mandate

• French rule:

– Lack of unity within country & differing goals of groups led = pol. instability & conflict

– Little progress made toward Lebanese independence

– Muslim opp. to separation from Syria so intense, Maronites & Muslims formed paramilitary groups to defend themselves against armed attacks from the other.

• Nevertheless...

– By late 1930s = general agreement with French that Lebanon would become independent & it would be separate from Syria

Background – The National Pact in Lebanon

• 1943 – important event – ramifications for many years: – Maronite & Muslim party leaders agreed to power-sharing arrangement = the

National Pact

• The National Pact – Power-sharing agreement:

– Muslims accepted Lebanese independence separate from Syria – Maronites abandoned their reliance upon French, thus accepting the Arab

character & identity of new state – President of Lebanon always to be Maronite Christian – Prime Minister = Sunni Muslim – Speaker of parliament = Shia Muslim – Head of armed forces = Christian

• Lebanon gained its independence when last French forces evacuated Dec

1946 • Despite National Pact, pol. situation in Lebanon marked by instability,

frequent elections & changes in govt.

Religious groups?

Background – Religious groups

• Maronite Christians

– Followers of St Maron (4thC Syrian monk)

– Follow teaching of Pope but Maronite Church has own heirarchy & forms of worship

– Found mainly in Lebanon

– Role of President in Lebanon reserved for a Maronite Christian

Background – Religious groups

• Druze:

– Distinct Middle Eastern monotheistic religious group

– Originated 11thC

– Combined elements of many religions & philosophies

– Bit reclusive

– Found primarily in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan & Israel

Background – Religious groups

• Sunni Muslims:

– Sunni = majority group in Islam

– Follow principles of designating leaders of Islamic community after death of Mohammed

• i.e. Not by birth

– Role of PM of Lebanon reserved for a Sunni Muslim

Background – Religious groups

• Shia (Shi’ite) Muslims:

– Shia = group that followed Ali & his family as legitimate leaders of Islamic community after death of Mohammed.

• Ali = Mohammed’s cousin & through marriage became his son-in-law & father of his only grandsons (to reach maturity).

– Role of parliamentary speaker of Lebanon reserved for a Shia Muslim

Background – Religious groups

• Others?

• Greek Orthodox...

• ...

• ...

Background – post-WW2 • First 20 years following est. of Israel, Lebanon played little part re:

conflict over Palestine • 1976 – pop. = 2 million ish • By early 1980s, Muslim pop. > Christians

– About 43% Christians, 44% Muslims, 7% Druze – Because of National Pact arrangements = tensions within govt. (still

maintained a Western orientation re: foreign & econ policy)

• Drawn into Palest-Isr situation by large numbers of Palestinian

refugees post 1948 & 1970 (Black Sep) – Mid-1980s = 400 000 Palestinian refugees (out of total 2.6 million Pal

ref) living in Lebanon • Not welcomed by Leb pop., not given same rights as citizens & living conditions

in ref camps = appalling.

– As with Jordan, Israel made it clear to Lebanese Govt (through punishing mil incursion into Leb) that if it did not control actions of militant Pal groups in southern Lebanon who launched attacks into northern Israel, Isr forces would.

Background – PLO in Lebanon, 1969-1978 ‘a State within a State’

• Long-term tensions etc exacerbated + complicated by PLO – Palestinian refugees & militant groups post 1948 & 1970

• Cairo Accords – Nov 1969: – Nasser + Lebanese officials + Yasser Arafat + Arab League exec members agreed PLO

could recruit, arm, train & employ fighters against Israel.

• Post PLO expulsion from Jordan (1970), PLO created ‘a State within the State’ in southern Lebanon (as they had in Jordan) – Controlled refugee camps (most in poorer suburbs of Beirut or southern Leb) – Gradually = ministate, spurred growth of Maronite militias – Outside govt – Often vied with each other for dominance

• Border area = launching site for Pal rocket & guerilla attacks against Isr – Raids into Isr + reprisals

• Few Isr towns hit but bombing reprisals meant Lebanon becoming a ‘front-line’ state as far as Isr concerned.

– >150 Leb towns & villages constantly under attack from Isr

• PLO rule in southern Leb = nightmare for Arab & Christian residents. • Added to tensions & conflicts already taking place

– Christians resented – Sympathy amongst Muslims for Pal’s increased

Final element? • Divisions bet states & factions either sup or rej American dipl &

disengagement accords (Camp David) – Syria, Iraq & Libya = rejection – Within PLO

• Arafat & Fatah hedged bets, later became more radical – Motivated by realization PLO would not gain from great power diplomacy

• Syria: – Saw Sadat’s willingness to break from other Arab states & seek

independent treaty with Isr = Isolated Syria & put it at Isr’s mercy • Assad believed alliance with PLO & Leb militants could help est. new pol

structure that served Syria’s interests. – Could only occur as long as Syria controlled Leb pol developments & PLO (to ensure

didn’t act unilaterally provoking Isr response)

– Once Civil War underway though, Assad switched – supported Maronites • Assad preferred balance of power in which Maronites kept pol & mil role

– Syria’s actions show how allegiances could shift as war progressed

Long-term causes / tensions – short-term spark?

• Long-term tensions/factors: – National Pact in place until 1970s

• Consistent source of tensions & conflict • Some Muslim groups & Arab nationalists began to try to limit Christian

power – Wanted to dismantle National Pact & recast pol structure of Leb

» The National Movement (opp group) • 1975 program called for ‘deconfessionalisation’ of govt. • Would destroy Maronite ascendancy as new census = majority rule

• Wrong to characterize this as only a religious conflict though – Majority of those excluded from present system = Muslim – Opposition movement itself inc. Christians & Muslims

– Palestinians • ‘state within a state’ • Demographics • Raids into Isr & retaliation by Israel

– Camp David talks

• Spark?

Spark?

• April 1975 – Civil war broke out after right-wing Christians massacred 26 Palestinians in a Beirut bus

The Lebanese Civil War • By 1975…

– Lebanon engaged in bloody civil war

• Ess bet Muslims & Christians BUT wrong to simply dismiss as religious conflict

• Relations bet Leb groups & Pal’s had degenerated into open warfare – Maronites felt no Arab solidarity with Pal’s & didn’t want to be drawn

into dispute they regarded as none of Leb’s business.

• …

• Timeframe (1975-1990?):

– April 1975 – October 1976

• Oct – Arab League summit leads to formation of peacekeeping force

The Lebanese Civil War • 1976 – Lebanese Christian leadership formed coalition known as Lebanese Front

– Military arm = Lebanese Forces – Dominated by Maronite ‘Phalange’ party

• Syria intervenes: – 1 June 1976 – responding to calls from Lebanese Front, Syria’s President Hafez al-Assad

intervened on side of Christians • Syrian presence grew to 27000 troops • Assad’s goal = make Lebanon a Syrian client – prepared to weaken PLO to achieve this.

• Oct 1976 – Arab summit in Riyadh – Arab League deployed an Arab peacekeeping force inc. Syrian forces – Arab Deterrent Forces – Called for PLO to withdraw from central Leb

• PLO went south – presence contributed to tensions that = Isr invasions 1978

– Isr PM Yitzhak Rabin accepted Syria’s mil presence in Leb but indicated Isr would not tolerate deployment of Syrian troops south of Litani River • Syria accepted this limit, tried to restrict PLO act to decrease potential for massive Isr retaliation

– Some members of Likud tried to revive idea of Isr extending territory to Litani River • More secure, more land for settlement, more water • Fanciful – occupying Lebanon was to cause more grief than any other venture in Israel’s history

Litani River

Civil War over?

• Leb politics = even more splintered

• Many small factions, unanswerable to recognized pol authority, emerged seeking to control urban neighbourhoods

• Civil War over?

– No

The Lebanese Civil War – Israeli priorities

• Backed Maronites out of sympathy

– Strengthening Maronite militia also = possible destruction of Pal camps & inhabitants

– Begin expanded support for Maronites (Major Haddad)

• Saw Maronites & Christians in general likes Jews of WW2, who had been threatened & exterminated by Nazis – by ext Arabs & Pal’s = incarnation of Nazis & should be given no quarter

• Primary intention = block any ext of Syrian power over Leb

• Tensions in southern Leb increased

Israeli invasions

• 1978

• 1982

• 1993

• …

So… • Causes / Lead-up

– Why did the Civil War start & why did the Israeli’s get involved?

• Course

– What happened? Prior to direct Israeli involvement? – After & during Israeli involvement?

• Resolution – How was it resolved? – What attempts were made to resolve it?

• Effects / Consequences on the region

– Effects of the Civil War in Lebanon itself? – Effects on the region – Effects / consequences of Israeli involvement?

• On Israel & on the region?

Consequences of Israel’s invasion

Israeli invasion – Operation Litani, March 1978

US becomes involved

Israeli invasion – June 1982

Sabra & Shatilla Massacre

Hezbollah

Perspectives

Israel attacks again – April 1996

Israel attacks again – July, 1993

Israel attacks again?

Tasks: 1. Read p.154-164 of your text book 2. Answer the following questions as you read:

1. List some of the reasons/factors that increased tensions & led to Civil War breaking out in 1975.

2. How did the PLO become involved? 3. What were Israel’s priorities / concerns regarding the events unfolding

in Lebanon? 4. Why did Israel invade in 1978? 5. Why did Israel invade in 1982? 6. Explain what occurred at the refugee camps of Sabra & Shatila in 1982. 7. What impact did Israel’s involvement in the war, and events like those

at Sabra & Shatila specifically, have on public opinion toward Israel? Both domestically (within Israel) & abroad.

8. List any key individuals involved or related to the conflict in Lebanon. 9. What impact did the Civil War & Israel’s involvement have on the

region?