1982 When Israel Went Into Lebanon

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                  

                                                  Michel Aoun, born 30 September 1933) is a Lebanese politician and former military general who served as the President of Lebanon from 31 October 2016 until 30 October 2022.  He is the last president.  He was succeeded by Najib Mikati (acting president. 

Operation Peace for Galilee (Hebrew: שלום הגליל, 'Shalom HaGalil'), also known as the First Lebanon War (Hebrew: מלחמת לבנון הראשונה, 'Milhemet Levanon HaRishona'), was a war launched by Israel against Palestinian terrorists based in southern Lebanon. The operation was launched on June 6, 1982, following the attempted assassination of the Israeli Ambassador to the UK by a terrorist cell. The stated objective of the operation was to put the communities of northern Israel out of reach of the terrorists in southern Lebanon by pushing the latter (terrorists) 40 km to the north. The war lasted more than three months until Israeli forces reached Beirut.

I was living in Israel  in Safed in 1982, having arrived  in Haifa in 1980.  

Since the end of the Six Day War of 1967, terrorist groups had been launching attacks from southern Lebanon, resulting in IDF reprisals, the most notable of which was the Litani Operation in 1978.  Eleven years (11 years) of terrorists launching attacks from southern Lebanon had been happening to Israelis.  

Terrorists in Lebanon belonged to various organizations, including Fatah, and they numbered 23,000. Their equipment consisted of light weapons, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, about 150 armored tanks, artillery cannons, troop carriers, and other armored vehicles. Their forces were organized in the region of the “Fatah Land” located on the southwestern slopes of Mount Hermon, south of Mount Lebanon, in the region of Nabatieh and along the coastal plain.

Hezbollah was established by Lebanese clerics primarily to fight the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. It adopted the model set out by Ayatollah Khomeini after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and the party's founders adopted the name "Hezbollah" as chosen by Khomeini. Since then, close ties have developed between Iran and Hezbollah. The organization was created with the support of 1,500 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) instructors,  You can think of Hezbollah the creation of Khomeini, his personal fighting arm besides being the Shiite religious cleric.   

Is Hezbollah part of the Lebanese government?  Hezbollah has risen to become the most influential political organization in Lebanon but operates largely without accountability. It probably could take over the Lebanese state by force, but it is far more effective to exercise power in Lebanon’s weak state without taking on responsibilities of office.

Today, Lebanon is considered a failed state.  In 2023, 

The Lebanese parliament had failed, for the twelfth time to elect a president for the

 republic, a position that has remained vacant since Michel Aoun’s term ended last 

October and he left Baabda Palace. 

Resource:

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-lebanon-is-without-a-president-or-

government/

https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/wars-and-operations/first-lebanon-war/#:~:text=The%20operation%20was%20launched%20on,40%20km%20to%20the%20north.

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2024/06/hezbollah-out-of-lebanons-jewish-and.html

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2024/06/hezbollah-shiites-with-christian.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Aoun