Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2013
The End of Consensus
The Israeli invasion of Lebanon began to descend into internal acrimony and moral defeat the moment the Israeli army reached Beirut. Sharon's objective was to eliminate the PLO ensconced in West Beirut. On 1 July 1982, the Israeli army began to shell this section of the Lebanese capital which was inhabited by half a million people. A few days later, they cut off water and electricity. When this made little difference, Sharon began to adopt more extreme and desperate measures to put an end to the PLO presence.
Arafat, sensing the growing unease internationally, prevaricated and refused to move his forces out of Beirut. The destruction of housing blocks and the loss of civilian life provoked a plethora of protests. A massive bombardment on 11 and 12 August produced an angry response from Reagan. On 22 August, the PLO finally started to evacuate Beirut. On 1 September, the White House publicized the Reagan plan without any prior consultation with Begin. It argued that the West Bank settlements were an obstacle to peace and called for a freeze.
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