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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Lebanon
Index
Palestinians have been an integral part of the Lebanese polity
since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. At that time, many fled to
Lebanon. This refugee population increased after the June 1967 War
and the 1970 eviction of the PLO from Jordan. By 1987 there were
about 400,000 Palestinians in Lebanon
(see The Palestinian Element
, ch. 2).
As Palestinian guerrilla activity launched from Lebanon against
Israel increased in the late 1960s, it gave rise to serious
security and political problems for the Lebanese government. The
PLO forces in southern Lebanon created what amounted to a distinct
Palestinian entity, outside the control of the central authorities.
PLO transgressions (tajawuzat) against the Lebanese populace
and Israeli military attacks made the situation critical. Political
battles between Christians and Muslims centered on the role in
Lebanon of Palestinian guerrillas, who were effectively conducting
foreign policy that had deep repercussions for the Lebanese
government. The 1969 Cairo Agreement, brokered by other Arab
states, was an attempt to reduce tensions by limiting the scope of
Palestinian actions in Lebanon; this arrangement, however, was
never successful.
During the 1975 Civil War, the Palestinian population in the
Beirut area suffered extraordinarily, as urban refugee camps were
besieged by Christian militias. In contrast, some Palestinian
liberation groups were in the middle of the fiercest fighting and
inflicted considerable damage on the Lebanese Front. Furthermore,
the PLO increased its dominance because its forces controlled areas
out of the reach of the Lebanese Front.
Throughout the 1980s, Palestinian fortunes in Lebanon dwindled.
The Israeli invasion was a serious setback, followed closely by the
Sabra and Shatila massacres
(see The Siege of Beirut
, ch. 5). In
1983 intra-Palestinian hostility was particularly pronounced, as
factions battled near Tripoli; in the process, pro-Arafat forces
were evicted by Syrian-backed elements. Moreover, the war of human
attrition between Palestinians in the refugee camps of Beirut and
the Amal militia that began in 1985 had not ceased by late 1987
(see
Chaos in Beirut and Syrian Peacemaking Efforts
, ch. 5). This
tragic situation illustrated the complexity of Lebanese political
events, showing that hostility to the PLO was not confined to
Christian groups. Nonetheless, by late 1987 the PLO still enjoyed
control of much of the Sidon region and retained a strategic
foothold in Lebanon.
Data as of December 1987
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