TWO ARTICLES ON ISRAEL FROM THE NID

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06806139
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: July 25, 2019
• Case Number: F-2018-00205
• Publication Date: September 22, 1982

Approved for Release: 2019/07/16 C06806139
Director of
Central
Intelligence
CPAS/CIG
National Intelligence Daily
Wednesday
22 September 1981
--Tep-Seeiret--
4ep-Seeret�
CPAS NW 82-222JX
TCS 2922/82
22 September 1982
Copy 265
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Contents
/ Israel-Lebanon: New Information on Massacre 1
.2 Israel: Pressure on the Government .
p ca.1 c
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Record
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Beirut
632721 9-82
VA Lebanese Armed Forces
area of control
0 Refugee area
.==. Crossing point
� Government building
MAMain urban area
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ISRAEL-LEBANON: New Information on Massacre
Israel continues to draw down its forces in West Beirut.
Evidence of Tel Aviv's involvement in the events surroundsna the
massacre at the refugee camps is mounting.
The Israelis have withdrawn at least two additional
battalions of troops from West Beirut and have turned
/ over part of it to the Lebanese Army, but at least three
/ brigades remain to search for weapons caches and PLO
guerrillas. The remaining members of the Muslim Mura-
2/,>bitun militia reportedly have fled or gone into hiding.
Meanwhile, Red Cross and Lebanese volunteers con-
tinue to uncover more bodies in the camps. Initial press
(2 reports of 300 dead have now been revised upward to at
least 600.
Comment: Israel is moving slowly to relinquish
control of the city to the Lebanese Army, probably to
ensure that as many PLO guerrillas and arms caches as
possible are found before it withdraws its own forces.
Israeli Role in the Massacre
Commander in Chief of the Christian Lebanese Forces,
Fadi Frem, ordered elements of his forces. Primarily
Phalange, into the Sabra camp.
tne
Some time after these forces entered the ca
Christian
militia leader Haddad's men were responsible for the
(tr... massacres at the Shatila camp and the nearby Akka and
1
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Gaza hospitals.
Tel Aviv has now admitted publicly that the Phalange
was encouraged to "cleanse" the camps of PLO elements,
�.....but disavows any responsibility for the massacres. The
Israeli Defense Force denies that Haddad's militia was
involved.
Comment: Tel Aviv's denial probably stems from
its desire to shift the blame away from the Israeli
5-Defense Force, which exercises complete control over
Haddad's militia.
and
the
it is estimated that 1,000 Palestinian civilians,
perhaps more, were killed during the 36-hour period
Christian militia was in the camp.
2
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Israeli Knesset Representation
Seats
Coalition
64
Likud
46
Herut
24
Liberals
18
Laam
3
Aluva Nof
1
National Religious Party
6
Agudat Israel
4
TAMI
3
Tehiyya
3
Hurvitz/Ben Porat
2
Opposition
56
Labor Alignment
50
Labor
42
MAPAM
7
Citizen's Rights Movement
1
Democratic Front for Peace and
Equality (Communists)
4
Shinui
2
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p ect
ISRAEL: Pressure on the Government
The Labor Party will use the special session of the Knesset
scheduled for today to push its demand for an independent inquiry
into the massacre in Beirut and cite recent events there as proof
of its contention that Prime Minister Begin's policies on Lebanon
are bankrupt.
Comment: If Labor decides to challenge Begin's
power, the party probably will encourage the two religious
parties--the National Religious Party and Agudat Israel--
and dissidents in the Liberal faction of Likud to desert
the coalition and form a new government. The National
Religious Party is increasingly disturbed over Begin's
hardline stance--party members were particularly upset
at the Prime Minister's rejection of their request for
an independent inquiry�and might be agreeable to an
appeal from Labor.
The Religious Party is already holding contacts with
Labor, according to press accounts. If Begin offers the
party an acceptable compromise on the inquiry issue,
however, he probably can keep it from bolting.
Begin apparently has decided to maintain his comba-
tive stance and rely on the substantial support for his
policies in the Sephardic community to ride out the con-
troversy. Further revelations of the government's mis-
handling of the massacre and its refusal to permit some
kind of inquiry could seriously threaten his hold on
power, however, even if he survives the immediate threat.
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