PLO

April 13 (Part II): The Roots of the Conflict

In the collective memory of Lebanon’s civil war, a specific moment often takes center stage: the deadly attack in Ain el-Remmaneh by Kataeb militiamen on a bus carrying Palestinian Fedayeen. For many observers—whether casual or seasoned—this event is widely viewed as the spark that ignited the Lebanese conflict. But such a narrative may ...

April 13 (1): A Sudden Spark or the Culmination of a Crisis?

Ain el-Remmaneh, Sunday, April 13, 1975. A religious ceremony is held around 10 in the morning, to mark the inauguration of a Melkite church in this working-class suburb of Beirut, a stronghold of Lebanon’s main Christian parties. Several prominent figures are present, including President Camille Chamoun and Kataeb leader Pierre Gemayel. During ...

Hezbollah-PLO: Parallel Fates

In 1982, the Israeli army launched Operation "Peace for Galilee" with the goal of driving Arafat's militias from southern Lebanon. More than mere militias, these were organized armies, and Yasser Arafat reigned as the undisputed ruler and bloodstained overlord of Lebanon. The leader of the PLO had unilaterally declared Lebanon as the launchpad for ...