Benyamin Ben-ari

Sharon's Deception: Decision Making Analysis of the First Lebanon War Benyamin Ben-ari

The First Lebanon War is the most controversial war in Israeli history. The goals achieved were overshadowed by the setbacks that were entailed with the invasion. Much of the public felt deceived and misled by Sharon and the Begin government. At first they were supportive of the incursion into Lebanon, but then when the public realized the objectives Sharon was going after, that support dwindled and eventually turned into massive protests against the war. The objectives of the operation seemed to be simple: to clear the Palestinian Liberation Organization and its artillery from being able to reach Israel's northern communities. But the real goals were withheld from the government and the public by the Defense Minister, Ariel Sharon. Israel needed to remove the threat the PLO was posing to the northern border and the residents therein. The question being asked today is did Israel and Ariel Sharon execute the invasion in the right way?