• Home
  • Perspectives
  • Articles
  • Columns
  • Platform
  • Poetry
    • Literature
  • Shop
    • Cart
    • My account
  • Support
    • Donation Confirmation
  • Write for us
Search
46.2 F
Los Angeles
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy Policy
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Media Monitors Network (MMN)
  • Home
  • Perspectives
    • Jerusalem Israel Palestine Dome of The Rock Golden Dome

      The Abraham Accords undermined much-needed peace with Palestinians

      World Map

      Global disturbing disparities

      Globe Algeria Niger Mali Africa

      There is always a price to pay for befriending the Zionists

      Illegal Israeli Settlements

      Antisemitism claims mask a reign of political and cultural terror across…

      The Flower - Pakistan Monument at Night

      Israel in the vanguard of India’s mounting conflict with Pakistan

  • Articles
    • Man studying religious book

      Ishmael and Isaac: An Essay on the Divergent Moral Economies of…

      Mahmoud Abbas

      May Your Home Be Destroyed

      Netanyahu Lighting Hanukah Candles with His Wife and Sons

      Bibi’s Son or: Three Men in a Car

      The Map of Greater Israel

      The Man Who Jumped

      West Bank - Palestine

      Cry, Beloved Country

  • Columns
    • Progressives Must Fight With -- and In -- the Democratic Party

      Steps Left for Electing Progressives and Defeating Republicans in the Midterms

      Tax Revelations and Corporate Media Won’t Defeat Trump

      Nancy Pelosi Could Get Us All Killed

      Tax Revelations and Corporate Media Won’t Defeat Trump

      ‘Fortress Mentality’ Among U.S. Leaders Has Trapped Us in a Cycle…

      Progressives Must Fight With -- and In -- the Democratic Party

      Grassroots Organizing Should Dump Biden and Clear the Path for a…

      Corporate Media Are Focusing on Race -- and Dodging Class

      Biden Refuses to Mention the Worsening Dangers of Nuclear War. Media…

  • Platform
    • Hanukkah Lights

      Hanukkah is not hypocrisy

      The Washington Post

      “Preemptive war could risk millions of casualties. But….”

      When they shout: "We strongly condemn…"

      68

      Why Iran won’t attack Israel

      Is One Iraqi’s Self-Hatred Newsworthy?

  • Poetry
    • Literature
  • Shop
    • Cart
    • My account
  • Support
    • Donation Confirmation
  • Write for us
Home Perspectives Thank you, BBC!
  • Perspectives

Thank you, BBC!

By
Uri Avnery
-
June 29, 2001
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
WhatsApp
Linkedin
ReddIt
Email
Print
Tumblr
Telegram
Mix
VK
Digg
LINE
Viber
Naver

     

    Thank you, BBC. You have done us a great service. Indeed, you may have helped in saving the lives of hundreds, even thousands.

    Nobody can return to live the victims of Sabra and Shatilla. Even you can’t do that. But the victims of future massacres can still be saved. You may have done that.

    Ariel Sharon is deciding now the fate of our country and our region, for years and perhaps for dozens of years. He wants to escalate the confrontation, so as to prevent the dismantling of the settlements, his most cherished achievement. For that he needs a massive escalation. But, according to his way of thinking, it must not appear that Israel is responsible for the next bloody war. The onus must fall squarely on Arafat. Therefore, Sharon is waiting patiently for his chance, in the meantime wrapping himself in the cloak of “self-restraint”.

    That is reminiscent of the situation 19 years ago. Sharon, then Minister of Defense, wanted to invade Lebanon, in order to implement a plan that will be discussed below. It was very difficult to find a suitable pretext, because for 11 months not a single bullet had been fired across the northern border, following an American-brokered cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon (actually with the PLO).

    Sharon flew to Washington in order to obtain the blessing of the American administration for the planned invasion. The Secretary of State, General (then, too, a general) Alexander Haig, told him that America was bound to oppose the invasion, unless (!!!) there was a clear Palestinian provocation. And hop, as if by invitation, the Abu-Nidal gang shot and wounded the Israeli ambassador in London, Shlomo Argov. The invasion went ahead and led to Sabra and Shatilla.

    This can happen again, this time against the Palestinian Authority. And here you come, dear BBC, and remind us of the events. The right program at the right moment. It tells Sharon that the file is still open. The situation regarding the indictment of war criminals has changed substantially. There was the Pinochet affair. Milosevic, who was openly supported by Sharon, has been extradited to the international war crimes tribunal. When deciding on actions that may be considered war crimes, Sharon must now take into account that the same can happen to him. In such case, the Sabra and Shatilla events may come up.

    That alone will not deter Sharon, but it may have some influence on his decisions.

    In my opinion, Sharon, too, has good reasons to be grateful to the BBC, because the program did not go beyond the Cahan commission’s findings. Like the Cahan commission, it leaves the main, decisive question unanswered.

    The Cahan commission bent backwards to limit Israel’s responsibility for the massacre. It interpreted the facts in as limited a way as possible without insulting the intelligence of the reader. It found Sharon & Co. (the Chief-of-Staff Rafael Eytan, the commander on the spot, Amos Yaron and others) guilty only of closing their eyes. Meaning: they should have known that letting the Phalangists into the camps would result in a massacre. Since they ignored this consideration and, furthermore, did not stop the massacre when they first heard about it, they bear “indirect” responsibility for the atrocities.

    The question that went unanswered, both in the Cahan report and in the BBBC program, is: Why did they behave like that? What was the motive?

    Perhaps the BBC program would have looked different if the file had contained a document that was published in Haolam Hazeh newsmagazine (whose editor-in-chief I was) on September 27, 1981. It was appended to a big article about Sharon, explaining why the magazine had chosen him as “Man of the (Jewish) Year”, following his appointment as Minister of Defense.

    Titled “The Political Map of Ariel Sharon”, this document contained the complete plan of the war that started nine months later. No prophesy was involved, since it was written after a series of long conversation with Sharon himself, who was interested in the publication, although “not for quotation”.

    Here are some quotations: “The cornerstone of the whole political-military concept of Sharon is the idea that a Palestinian state should be set up on the E a s t Bank of the Jordan riveréLogic dictates that this can only be achieved by war (in Lebanon)éa real war, aimed at solving all the problems in Lebanoné(including) the liquidation of the PLO campsé(the war) will move the PLO and its military forces from Lebanon to SyriaéIt is better that the PLO forces will be located in South Syria, on the Jordanian borderé(therefore) a big war with Lebanon and Syriaéwith the aim of getting the Syrians out of Lebanon, turning Lebanon over to the Christians and to move the PLO to Amman.”

    The plan aimed at moving the Palestinians from the camps in Lebanon, through Syria to Jordan. This was possible only by the creation of a panic, which would induce the multitude of Palestinians to flee eastwards.

    If the BBC had published this document, it would have arrived, perhaps, at far-reaching conclusions. Fortunately for Sharon, they have not.

    He should be grateful to them.

    • TAGS
    • about
    • according
    • account
    • achieved
    • achievement
    • across
    • actions
    • actually
    • administration
    • affair
    • after
    • again
    • against
    • ahead
    • Alexander
    • alone
    • ambassador
    • America
    • American
    • appear
    • appointment
    • arafat
    • ariel
    • Ariel Sharon
    • arrived
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Pinterest
    WhatsApp
    Linkedin
    ReddIt
    Email
    Print
    Tumblr
    Telegram
    Mix
    VK
    Digg
    LINE
    Viber
    Naver
      Previous article“Not Another Pollard Affair”: What’s Wrong With This Picture?
      Next articleDoubt and Certainty – Follow Up
      Uri Avnery

      Uri Avnery is a journalist, peace activist, former member of the Knesset, and leader of Gush Shalom. He is a regular contributor to Media Monitors Network (MMN).

      RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

      Jerusalem Israel Palestine Dome of The Rock Golden Dome

      The Abraham Accords undermined much-needed peace with Palestinians

      World Map

      Global disturbing disparities

      Globe Algeria Niger Mali Africa

      There is always a price to pay for befriending the Zionists

      Google Search

      MMN @ Google Play Store MMN @ Amazon Appstore

      MMN @ TwitterMMN @ FacebookMMN Feed

      EDITOR PICKS

      Progressives Must Fight With -- and In -- the Democratic Party

      Steps Left for Electing Progressives and Defeating Republicans in the Midterms

      August 31, 2022
      Tax Revelations and Corporate Media Won’t Defeat Trump

      Nancy Pelosi Could Get Us All Killed

      August 1, 2022
      Tax Revelations and Corporate Media Won’t Defeat Trump

      ‘Fortress Mentality’ Among U.S. Leaders Has Trapped Us in a Cycle...

      July 25, 2022

      POPULAR POSTS

      167

      The Origin of Freemasonry: The Crusaders & Templars

      April 23, 2003

      Sharon to Peres: We Control America

      November 20, 2001
      Qibla - Kaaba

      Direction of Al-Qiblah

      February 23, 2003

      POPULAR CATEGORY

      • Perspectives13563
      • News6687
      • World5878
      • Asia4836
      • Columns1370
      • Africa923
      • Articles786
      • Australasia611
      • Health598
      ABOUT US
      Media Monitors Network (MMN) is a non-profit, non-partial and non-political platform for those serious Media Contributors and Observers who crave to know and like to help to prevail the whole truth about current affairs, any disputed issue or any controversial issue by their voluntary contributions with logic, reason and rationality.
      Contact us: [email protected]
      FOLLOW US
      • About MMN
      • Disclaimer
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms and Conditions
      • Contact
      Copyright © 2000 - MMN International Inc. All rights reserved.
      Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
      All other brands, logos, and product names are registered
      trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
      ResponsiveVoice-NonCommercial licensed under 95x15
      MORE STORIES
      OIC condemns desecration of Holy Qur’an, calls for joint action to stop its recurrence

      OIC condemns desecration of Holy Qur’an, calls for joint action to...

      January 31, 2023
      Mali: Independent rights experts call for probe into Wagner Group’s alleged crimes

      Mali: Independent rights experts call for probe into Wagner Group’s alleged...

      January 31, 2023