Fateful Triangle

Peace for Galilee440southern Lebanon for many years; consider the full story of Khiyam, forexample.Rubinstein’s is a voice from the critical end of the spectrum ofmainstream political and intellectual life in Israel. A month later, as thebattering of Beirut reached new heights of savagery, Begin’s popularitycorrespondingly soared to record heights. A mid-August poll showed thatBegin’s Likud would capture 66 seats in the 120-member Knesset ifelections were held then (up from 48 in the 1981 elections), whileLabor Party support dwindled to 35 seats (47 in 1981). * More than80% supported the invasion of Lebanon (which was supported, publiclyat least, by the Labor opposition), and 64% approved of the decision togo beyond the 25-mile zone announced in early propaganda, though itwas already clear that the costs to Israel would not be small. 191 A fewweeks later, another poll showed that 60% of Israelis opposednegotiations with the PLO while 5% supported the establishment of aPalestinian state in the West Bank (NB.: not including the GazaStrip). 192 Presumably, Israel’s population largely agreed with Begin’sassertion that Israel “never attacked the civilian population in Beirut,”and with the statement of Defense Minister Sharon that “I would not beexaggerating by saying that there is no other country in the world thatcan boast of such a capacity for confrontation and such successes withsuch supreme universal moral value as little Israel.” The Knesset voted*Asked to state their preference for head of the government, 54% selected Beginin August, the next highest (14%) being Rabin and the next, then PresidentYitzhak Navon (4%). Begin’s popularity dropped to 45% by October (andRabin’s to 11%) after the events to which we return, while Navon’s rose to18%. By February 1983, Begin’s popularity was 45%, Navon’s 23%, andRabin’s 5% (about 20% not responding throughout). Shimon Peres, head of theLabor Party, stood at about 3.5% throughout. Ma’ariv, Feb. 18, 1983.Classics in Politics: The Fateful TriangleNoam Chomsky