Jumblatt Discusses Syrian-Israeli Coordination Against Palestinians During 1982 Beirut Invasion

Walid Jumblatt has provided an extensive historical account of Lebanon's tumultuous period during the early 1980s, discussing the Israeli invasion of Beirut in 1982, the departure of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and the killing of Bashir Gemayel in an interview for the "Witness to the Era" program.

The prominent Lebanese politician asserted that Damascus and Tel Aviv shared common strategic interests in dismantling the Palestine Liberation Organization and subsequently targeting Arafat himself. Jumblatt characterized these developments as part of broader regional geopolitical calculations rather than isolated events.

According to Jumblatt, the so-called "Alliance of Minorities" emerged as a consequence of the Iraq invasion, which he argues eliminated a significant counterbalance to Iranian influence. He traced the roots of this alliance to 1974, when an Alawite movement began promoting rapprochement between Maronite Christians and Syrian Alawites—a trajectory he believes explains the Syrian regime's subsequent assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri as part of a strategy to weaken Sunni populations across Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.

Jumblatt characterized Arafat's political approach in Beirut as restrictive, limiting the National Movement's political activities and creating internal contradictions. He revealed that Arafat's final visit before departing Beirut was to the home of Kamal Jumblatt, with Nabih Berri, George Hawi, and Marwan Hamadeh present. The Palestinian leader left Lebanon due to internal and popular pressure, according to Jumblatt's assessment, as the capital had exhausted its capacity to resist.

When discussing his subsequent meeting with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, Jumblatt stated that Assad expressed surprise at Arafat's departure, leading Jumblatt to conclude that Assad intended to destroy Beirut using Arafat as the pretext.

Regarding the 1982 invasion itself, Jumblatt recalled the extensive use of cluster munitions, noting their presence even within the grounds of the Soviet embassy. He also mentioned meeting Soviet Ambassador Alexander Soldatov during particularly intense bombing campaigns. The defection of Abu Musa from Arafat's faction represented a significant manifestation of internal PLO conflict, with the 1982 Fez Summit underscoring the deep disagreement between Arafat and Assad.

On the assassination of Bashir Gemayel, Jumblatt attributed responsibility to the Syrian regime, drawing a parallel to the killing of Kamal Jumblatt. He suggested that Syria tasked Habib Al-Shartouni, a Maronite Christian and Syrian nationalist associated with the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, with investigating and carrying out the operation. Jumblatt interpreted the assassination as a message from Syria to Israel: "We are still here and we can assassinate your candidate." He noted that Gemayel's election preceded the occupation of West Beirut, with Israeli forces encircling the area before his death, after which the capital fell to occupation.

Jumblatt remained in Damascus until the 1983 Jabal events. He recalled that Israeli official Shimon Peres had visited him in Mukhtara before the invasion, assuring him that Israeli forces would not enter Beirut—a prediction that proved inaccurate. Jumblatt emphasized that Israel's 1982 occupation of Beirut marked the first time it had invaded an Arab capital, though the occupation proved temporary. The Syrian Social Nationalist Party, he noted, initiated resistance efforts during this period.

Reflecting on Arafat's broader calculations, Jumblatt suggested the Palestinian leader believed that an Israeli occupation of Al-Aqsa Mosque would mobilize the Arab and Islamic world, prompting Jumblatt to question where that support materialized for Gaza and the West Bank.

Shifting to more recent events, Jumblatt stated he was among the first to publicly support the Hamas operation of October 7, 2023, despite subsequent criticism. He noted that an American ambassador visited to request he reconsider his position, which he declined, stating: "They are a Palestinian people." Jumblatt drew a parallel between Palestinian actions surprising Israel and Arab forces doing so during the October 1973 war.

Concluding his remarks, Jumblatt characterized the current regional situation as "surreal," asserting that Hezbollah genuinely poses a threat to Israel and that the 2006 conflict failed to provide Israel with meaningful lessons. His analysis connects the 1982 invasion through October 7 and beyond, linking PLO transformations, Syria's role, Israeli calculations, Iran's ascendancy, and shifting regional power dynamics—presenting Lebanon as a persistent intersection point for competing regional and international projects.