week's events overshadowed the 11 March Palestinian commando operation which served as their pretext. But the raid on Tel Aviv is important because it reveals the depth of the crisis in the Palestinian movement, argues M. JAFAR.
Presumably the PLO leadership saw the raid as a way of asserting its existence and forcing the Israelis to retaliate thereby undermining Sadat's diplomatic initintive.
The PLO coming into With the raid it most have sought to reverse the disillusionment in own ranks marginalisation after the defeat in the Lebanese civil war.
At the same time it needed to prove have of the Sadat initiative.
resistance intransigence. The was on the The Isracl settlements and an hard itself militarily to its new found allies in the Front of Steadfastness and Rejection' (an alliance of Libya, Iraq, Algria and the Palestinian organizations) established in the wake The problem was mat the pee calks between Egypt and Israel had already broken down because of Isracu Bonus the breakdown was clearly on Begin who weaton, but also inside Traly delensive cabinet was seriously split on the question of the Sinai underswell popular irritation at Regin's positions was developing even inside Israci Tbe PLO's mud changed all this in one fell swoop. Il gave Begin the opportunity he sa desperately needed.
LOCO casualties. soutbern Lebanon occupied, destruction of all PLO bases the south, and hundreds thousaids of new Palestinian and Lebanese refugees. Thir is just the begioning of the price the Arab masses are having to pay The question is bound to he asked: was it worth i? The ANSWEr 15 categorically: no.
The 11 March operation was crudely conceived is part of an 'armod peoples struggle TOt the liberation Palestine.
But hopeless and desperate suicide missions are a long way from the mobdisation of the masses in their hundreds of thousands to struggle for a common aim.
ISOLATED The PLO is seriously isolated from which it still has forces Many villagers in southern Lehanon who bals yesterday fought with the PLO in the civil war, are loday arming themselves and barricading villages against the entry of the PLO helpless and Palestinian refugees.
The Lebanese mass movement and Jeft organisations, who were pulverised blanse In Beirut during the civil war the PLO acred more like an Lebanese passes have not Targotten these things.
PRIORITY The burning priority of every responsible Palestinian evolutionary is ta mend the bridges that have been cu: between the Palestinian masses, and the rest of the Arab population.
For, It this problem is not tackled in Jordan, Egypt and the rest won't be a Palestinian movement worth speaking about. M. JAFAK reports.
naval and air bombardment of the Lehanese coastline north as the camps of Damour and Ouzai Just south of Beirut.
casualties and vel anather exodus 10 the north of 160,000 new refugees to be added on to the 200,000 Palestinian refugees from previces wars and the 250,000 Lebanese made hanseless by the civil war in Lebanon people, DESTRUCTION The PLO 11 March operation on. Tel Aviv furnished the Zionist state with the Jaunching a project bat must have been planned from the days of the civi war, if not before.
could not have been organised in a fou last remaining Palestinian bases ano stroopholds in the south of Lebanon, homeless DOUCHE Lebanon, in a The invasion was backed by heavy Zionist state.
reaching as lar TELL This Latest reports speak af aloost 1000 and Palestinians presence there All this in a country of 2.5 million militia Bul it is Pierre cacuse for A military operation on such a scale DOUBTS Already very La classica direction comparibl will the long term interests of the STALEMATE what Israeli premier Heg nicant when he spoke on 15 March O the creation of a "security belt" in th south of Lebanon and the need to come to a diplomatio arrangemen about getting rid of the Palestinia There do not appear to be man could negotiate a political pact. Thi extreme right wing of the Christia forces lod by Camille Chamous, is one possibility unlikely they would b Joined by the much larger Phalangi militia units led by the more astute Gemayel, whose politic ambitions are more far reaching political stalemate is therefore likely The PLO will continue its atlemp to wage a guerrilla war of attritio against the occupying Israeli am the Palestinian milita command is gearing itself up for thi with the assistance of the Syrian a to this the PLO really has no cho
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daTie Zionist Icadershit seems to he going for an all-our destruction of the