30 Years on Invading Lebanon, “Israel” Highlights Its Mistakes

Local Editor

6, June, 1982 "Israel" invaded Lebanon.

30 years later, "Israel" admitted "Lebanon surprised us, we're still stuck in its quagmires."

Under the title, "The Man who Triggered the First Lebanon War," the "Israeli" " Times of "Israel"" daily viewed "most people under the age of 40 have heard much about what has become known, as the First Lebanon War and its consequences."

According to the daily, [the "Israeli" ambassador to Britain at that time Shlomo] Argov himself was reportedly deeply distressed by the fact that the attack on him had prompted the invasion that in due course would cost countless lives amongst the ranks of "Israel's" soldiers."

"If those who initiated this war in Lebanon had envisioned the scope of this adventure, it could have saved the lives of hundreds of our best young people," the daily quoted Argov as saying.

For its part, "Jerusalem Post" newspaper recalled how "Israel" needed for the first time to use its Air Forces to attack helicopters in combat.

"Israeli" Brig.-Gen. (res.) Nehemia Dagan, a decorated helicopter pilot, stated that "the "Israeli" army raised the idea before 1973."

"There were people in the IDF - particularly in the ground forces but also in the air force - who were opposed to the investment," Dagan recalled in an interview this week.

In parallel, Haaretz daily chose to devote its pages to shed light on the ironic aspects of Lebanon First War.

"It was the morning of June 7, 1982, the second day of the first Lebanon war and a few hours after the end of one of the bitterest and most controversial battles of that war. The bodies of the six ["Israeli"]soldiers who were killed in the assault on Beaufort had already been removed," the correspondent portrayed.

"Israeli" television reporter Amos Carmeli, who covered the "Israeli" Prime Minister visit, recently told Haaretz. "[Menachem]Begin saw the event as a historic moment.

Carmeli remembered that during the entire visit, he did not hear Begin or anyone in his entourage say a word about the "Israeli" casualties of the battle. "Begin was very inquisitive and had a lot of questions, but that subject did not come up, not during the flight and not while we were on Beaufort." 

In the wake of Carmeli's report, the first "Israeli" questions about the necessity of the war and its conduct were raised.

Another admission of failure was stated by Nadav Palti, who was the unit's deputy commander in the period of the preparations for the war. "I don't think there was a plan we didn't examine and try out. We practiced the conquest of the site by night and by day, from the north and from the south, by air, by climbing on foot from the Litani River and also by means of mechanized assault with armored personnel carriers," he said.

According to most of "Israeli" soldiers testimonies over the years, there were a number of cases of friendly fire during the battle in Lebanon.

"An officer was wounded in at least one such exchange. The soldiers who were there remained silent for 30 years about the circumstances of the death of one of their buddies, for fear of the effect on his parents if they knew the details," Haaretz reported.

It further mentioned that "The first rationale presented by the IDF for conquering the Beaufort can be gleaned from the short exchange between Prime Minister Begin and his War Minister Ariel Sharon at the foot of the fortress, as captured by journalist Carmeli."

"This is one of the greatest achievements," Sharon told Begin. "This place constituted ...," Sharon continued but was cut off by Begin. "... An open wound. We had an open wound," the prime minister said. Sharon nodded and added, "A nuisance, a danger for years upon years."
Source: "Israeli" papers, edited by moqawama.org

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