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Lebanon:
The Victim Of Two Enemies
My father is a member of the United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon. On May 10, 1982 I returned to Israel
from school and he arranged that I become a member so
that I would be able to visit in Lebanon every now and
then. On weekdays I would shuttle between Lebanon and
Nahariya, an Israeli city in the north, one half an hour
away from Lebanon. The only time I could see my family
would be on weekends in Jerusalem.
The United Nations headquarters in Naqura, Lebanon
was established to preserve peace. The U.N. formed a
barrier between Israel and Palestinian strongholds in
Lebanon so neither forces could cross over. In spite of
this barrier, Israel has crossed over to Lebanon and made
military assaults on Palestinian campsites. The U.N. can
not use arms to stop Israel because its existence in
Lebanon is on the basis of peace.
On June 6, 1982, Israel invaded South Lebanon in
retaliation to Palestinian guerilla shelling on the Northern
Israeli frontier. This invasion by the israelis was called,
“SHLOM HAGALIL,” - “Peace For Galilee.”
The Israeli Army threatened to shoot at the U.N.
soldiers on duty at the barrier. When they crossed over,
some Scandinavian soldiers would not give way and a
Norwegian was killed.
On their arrival to East Beirut, Israelis were greeted
with a warm welcome by the Lebanese because they
were tired of hosting the Palestinians in their country.
Lebanon could not get rid of the Palestinians because
she had no form of government since the Civil VVar.
Lebanon has been through a warp of political instability.
There are about sixty different factions that fought
against each other for power, but of these the most
popular were Major Hadad and his army, and a Christian
group who favored Israel’s policy towards the P.L.O.
(Palestinian Liberation Organization.)
Furthermore, during the Israeli offensive. Major Hadad
sided with the Israeli army. Major Saad Hadad runs a
small portion of South Lebanon and calls it “Free
Lebanon.” The Israeli army mobilized their supplies free
ly from Hadads area. Tyre, to Beirut.
During this war between the Israelis and the Palesti
nian guerillas, Lebanon became the victim. Eventually
the Lebanese realized that it was not a minor attack but a
major one. Many buildings were destroyed, and families
were left homeless.
The P.L.O. would force their way into Lebanese homes
and the Israeli Air Force would have no option but to
strike at the enemy wherever it attacked from. This caus
ed the death of many families and left thousands injured.
I spoke to some Lebanese that were brought for treat
ment to the United Nations Medical Center. Some
children said they know not where their parents are, and
others would say their parents are dead among shattered
buildings. Many homeless children were transported to
Northern Israel for adoption.
This catastrophe led to many riots in Jerusalem.
University students would go and demonstrate outside
the Prime Minister’s office. The death of three-hundred
Israeli soldiers between the ages of 18-21 angered many
families. The Israeli Defense Minister, Areil Sharon
disregarded this and continued to wage the war.
Meanwhile, the United States was trying to achieve
peace by sending envoy Phiilipe Habib to Israel. There
were a number of cease fires but none of them lasted.
Eventually Israel made a heavy air raid attack. This vexed
the American President and he asked Israel for an im-
rpediate cease-fire. Through peace talks and future pro
mises, the Paiestinians finally withdrew. Towards the
end of September there were no P.L.O. left in Lebanon.
The Israelis also withdrew. Behind them these two
enemies left a shattered Lebanon both physically and
politically. In result a multi-national peace keeping force
has been estabiished. These include 800 Marines from
America, 800 from France and 400 from Italy.
However, there are many men, women and children at
the U.N. Medical Center even today still trying to recover,
i have seen mutilated bodies of children, and the grief of
many citizens, “When will it end,” said a Lebanese
woman who was no ionger a mother, or a wife. Such were
the tragedies in Lebanon.
Now remains the problem of establishing a stable
government. I very much doubt that this will be achieved
because just recently Bashier Gemayal (a Christian
leader and the first President after this conflict between
the P,LO. and Israel) was assassinated by Moslem
Fanatics. Five contenders remain eligible for the
Lebanese Presidency.
—Naod Dimetros
Coming Home To
God — A True
Homecoming
As I knelt before the Lord recommitting my life and my
studies to Him Saturday night at the Cross Band concert,
He gave me this theme for an editorial, “Coming Home to
God - A True Homecoming.” I got up to return to my seat
when i saw forty to fifty of my friends all kneeling around
me. Some were recommitting their lives, receiving
spiritual healing and receiving Jesus as their Lord for the
first time. We became a stronger body because of the
union the Holy Spirit created.
That next week the Lord provided Dr. Paul Long to
minister to us at Spiritual Emphasis Week. This got our
eyes off of ourselves and onto what God was calling us to
do. His desire is not that we keep our salvation to
ourselves but to share it so that everyone wiil know Jesus
as their personal Lord and Savior. We see as the alumni
return this weekend that they are no longer in this little
Christian society. Most of them don’t have every pro
fessor being a Christian. Within the next year or two we
will be out of this shelter and into the world to spread The
Gospel. This is not to alarm you, but to spark you into a
deeper personal growth with our Father. In Psalm 91:1
David writes, “He who dwells in the shelter oHhe-Wost
High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” We need
to dwell with our Lord and get to know who He is. Only
then will we truly love and serve Him. We might be leav
ing this shelter He has provided at Montreat, but we abide
in the shadow of the Almighty God. This Homecoming
has a greater meaning than the return of our brothers and
sisters in Christ. Now, it is coming home to God, so that
we can fuifill that which each of us is called to do, spread
the salvation of Christ.
—Linda Myiene Fross
Your
Turn
by Jeff Parker
Many people here at
Montreat-Anderson do not
have any idea of what is go
ing on in the world today. A
sad statement but true. In
an attempt to find student
opinions on the Beirut Crisis
I found that many students
knew iittle or absolutely
nothing about the situation
there. I did find a few people
who were informed,
however; and asked them a
few questions. The Ques
tions were as follows: 1.
What do you think the role of
the U.S. should be in the
Lebanese Crisis? 2. Do you
think Israel should have
entered Lebanon with arm
ed forces iast spring? 3. On
the basis of what you know
-do you think the Israeli
govt, was fully, partially or
not responsible for the
massacres in W. Beirut? Ex
plain. 4. What is the answer
for peace between Israel
and the P.L.O.? Many peo
ple had interesting answers.
In answer to question
number one, most people
thought that we should stay
out of it, or “Keep a low pro
file” as Ben Smith so pro
foundly said.
On question number two
there was a mixed reaction.
Kathy Sanborn said, “No, I
think they had the right to do
something, but i don’t agree
with the way they did it;
whereas Jim Oxford, said,
“Yes, they should have gone
in and destroyed, and taken
compiete control of
Lebanon.”
When I asked question,
number three, people looked
dumbfounded, some said
“What massacres.” Those
who did have answers seem
ed to feel that the troops did
it, and the government
didn’t know about it. In
other words “partial.” Rich
Ward felt that the govern
ment was fully responsible
however, “A massacre of a
scale that large could not
have happened without
some form of organization.”
Question number four
took everyone by surprise,
many in depth and in
teresting answers came
from this question: Lee
Owen said: “Eventually
Israel will have to recognize
the P.L.O. and the P.L.O. wiil
have to have their own
state.” Ben Smith added:
“There is not one singular
answer. All sides will have
to be willing to bring peace,
but there will not be peace
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