Fateful Triangle

Peace for Galilee438state with interests to pursue in the international arena. The reference tothe “frenzied courtship of Palestinians” in the West gives an interestingindication of the state of mind and grasp of reality on the part of manyliberal Israeli intellectuals.What Rubinstein describes as a “mixture of ignorance and insanity”with regard to Israel’s Christian allies spread over Israel as well, assoldiers and journalists began to learn about them from evidence moredirect than Israeli propaganda. Included were some of the mostrespected correspondents in Israel, for example, Ze’ev Schiff, whosedescription of Israel’s Maronite allies enjoying the fun was cited above,and Colonel Dov Yirmiah, who recounts stories of Phalange atrocities inJune (see section 5.3). Or consider the report by this soldier, after theBeirut massacres:A storm was aroused in the state concerning the Phalangistsin connection with the Sabra and Shatila affair. It was onlynecessary to become acquainted with the Phalangists toknow that they were capable of doing what they did. Atleast I, a simple soldier, understood this, when I was inBeirut before it all happened. I happened to make friendswith one Phalangist. Until today, I cannot forget twopictures that he showed me with real pride. In one he stoodin a heroic pose holding in his hands two full jars—ears ofterrorists! He told me that he had cut them from the bodiesof terrorists recently [that is, after the IDF had turned theLiners, if they had the audacity, could demonstrate the deep commitment of theSoviet leadership to civil liberties by citing their outrage over miscarriages ofjustice in the United States, the case of the Wilmington 10, for example. Again,the Age of Orwell.Classics in Politics: The Fateful TriangleNoam Chomsky