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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JUNE 10, 1983
PAGE 11
Vocal discontent with government policy and Israel's predicament
reached a peak Saturday night when more than 100,000 people at
tended a Peace Now organization rally in central Tel Aviv's Kings
of Israel Square....
The pain caused _!?.Y the war, in which more than 500 Israelis have
been killed and an additional 3,000 wounded,� �eep. Thus the
emotional call of a group of middle-aged Israelis who founded
Parents Against Silence no longer goes unnoticed.
More than
1,000 members of the group, some of whom have lost sons in
Lebanon and most of whom have children serving there, demon
strated recently in front of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
Few Israelis support a prolonged presence in Lebanon. But many
do accept the government's contention that, while Israel sincere
ly wants to get out, it would be counterproductive to "withdraw
tail between the legs" and thus allow the Syrians and the PLO to
exploit the power vacuum in Lebanon that would result. But the
"bog of Lebanon," as the critics describe Israeli involvement
there, is accepted by most Israelis as being a serious predica
ment.
One reserve army captain, interviewed by Israeli television in
Lebanon's central Chouf Mountains, perhaps stated a general
Israeli view when he said, "for the first time in 15 years of re
serve duty, I'm•.•emotionally uncomfortable with what I have had
to do."
"But you'11 agree that this is something that has to be done,
however unpleasant," the interviewer pressed him. "Not at all,"
he retorted.
"!Y
being� here trying to separate the warring
Druse and Christian Lebanese has nothing to do with defending our
homeland."
A sergeant interceded. "All my life I've been proud to do my an
nual reserve army stint," he said. "Not this time. If we hadn't
been threatened with jail, many of us would have happily opted
out. All I'm interested in is getting home in£!!.! piece." In
deed, since September about 70 reservists have refused to serve
in Lebanon and been sentenced to serve their month-long tours in
jail.
The Lebanon war from early on was glumly accepted as being the
� divisive force in Israel's short history. But� the di
visiveness has begun to seep deep� the nation's social fabric
as Israelis worry that the war's original goal, to create a new,
safe border with Lebanon, has become unattainable. Instead, many
Israelis feel that Lebanon may be divided into Israeli and Syrian
spheres of influence that would continue to be a drain on Israeli
resources for many years to come.
� � -
One is almost tempted to conclude that the Lebanese "bog" represents the
"wound" prophesied for Judah in Hosea 6:13. However, the same verse states
that concurrent with this, "Ephraim saw his sickness." That does not ap
pear to be true yet--but the "bog of Lebanon" might linger long enough, or
go through another phase, for the two developments to run closer to
parallel.