Varieties of Violence

"Obligated from both a moral and political viewpoint," as he put it, Israel's Deputy Premier Yigal Allon last week publicly admitted that Israeli planes had dropped bombs on the southern Lebanon town of Hasbaya two weeks ago. The raid, labeled a "preventive" strike, had been aimed at the Palestinian fedayeen encamped in the hills around the village. But because of a technical failure in a jet bomber, said Allon, a number of bombs were dropped on Hasbaya itself. "We never intended to harm peaceful civilians," he said.

Allon was promptly attacked by Israel's largest newspaper, Ma'ariv, for making the admission at a time when the United Nations Security Council was debating a resolution condemning Israel for the raid. The one-sided resolution carried 13-0, with only the U.S. and Panama abstaining; it was promptly condemned by Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban as "inequitable and discriminatory," because it made no mention of Arab violence.

Broken Promises. He had a point. But Eban for his part did not mention the violence of the Israeli response. TIME Correspondent Gavin Scott was one of the few journalists to visit Hasbaya last week and found that the bombing had "left the center of the village a jumble of caved-in roofs, dangerous dangling electric wires, burned-out shops, blackened automobiles and screaming people. Four bombs made craters 12 ft. deep and 20 ft. across within 20 yds. of the house of Dr. Rashid Haddad, the town's only physician. There, the doctor said, pointing a finger, a man got caught in the flames. His clothes and hair were on fire. He died right away; there was nothing I could do for him.'" Scott counted twelve craters, and three unexploded bombs were taken away. Eight villagers had been killed and about 50 wounded. "Perhaps one bomb might be a mistake, or two or three. But can all this be a mistake?" Dr. Haddad asked.

Israeli planes had also staged a raid on the hill village of Deir al Ashayer, leveling three of its dozen houses. Villagers said that 19 civilians had been killed, including seven children.

The purpose of the raids was to persuade the Lebanese government to control the fedayeen, who have been using the border country of Lebanon as a base for attacks on Israel. In that regard, the Israelis appeared to have achieved some success. Lebanese Premier Saeb Salam last week announced that he and Guerrilla Leader Yasser Arafat had reached an agreement: in return for being allowed to remain in Lebanon, the fedayeen will "freeze" their attacks on Israel. The fedayeen, unfortunately, have made similar promises--and broken them--in the past; the previous lull lasted only four months.

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