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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 April 1999 Issue No. 426 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 April 1999 Issue No. 426
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Special Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Arnoun recaptured
By Zeina KhodrIt was the second time in less than two months that most of the residents of the southern village of Arnoun had to pack their belongings and leave. They woke up on Friday morning to find their village cut off from government-controlled territory again.
Lebanon accused Israel of trying to enlarge the zone it occupies in the south and called on the United Nations to help bring about an end to the "dangerous invasion". Israel denied that it had annexed Arnoun, arguing that the town "lies within the zone."
But this is the first time pedestrians have to pass through an Israeli checkpoint -- measures applied at other border crossings between government-held territory and the occupied zone.
"Arnoun has become part of the zone and villagers will require permits from the Israelis to travel to the rest of Lebanon," the Israeli-allied South Lebanon Army (SLA) said.
The checkpoint, manned by the SLA, was set up at the entrance to the village, which was sealed off with barbed wire and trenches. As a result, Israeli soldiers and their local allies now have full control over the movement of residents.
"They [the Israelis and the SLA] came down from their hilltop position and entered the village last night. They searched our homes, confiscated our mobile phones and sealed off the area," one resident told the Weekly on condition of anonymity. "We are leaving but others who have no place to go are staying," she said.
I was among a group of journalists who gathered at the entrance to the village hours after it was sealed off. It was clear the militiamen did not want us there. Five minutes after arriving, one shouted through a mgaphone at us: "Your time is up. Leave". Then a number of soldiers lobbed smoke grenades and tear gas canisters in our direction before firing rubber-coated bullets. A Lebanese soundman, working for a television station in Abu Dhabi, Kassem Durgham, was wounded after being shot in the back. He was taken to hospital where doctors performed minor surgery to remove the bullet lodged near his spinal cord. "They will not scare us and we will continue to do our jobs," Durgham told the Weekly from his hospital bed. "This is our land and I am not afraid to die. We never hurt them [the Israelis]; they are the ones hurting the Lebanese and occupying our land."
Israel threatened that any attempt to counter "the security operation" would be met with severe consequences. Uri Lubrani, the so-called coordinator for Israeli activities in Lebanon, warned the Beirut government not to use civilians to fight the Israelis. "Lebanon will be held responsible for any harm that comes to them," he said.
Last March, Lebanese protesters tore down the fence surrounding the village, which had been erected by the Israeli forces a week earlier. Israel said then it had taken over Arnoun to prevent resistance forces using it as a base. This is the same justification Israel is using for its latest action, describing it as a "preventive security operation" to protect its soldiers.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said the operation marked a "new policy" by his government to respond strongly to attacks. "Attacks were launched against our troops from Arnoun and we decided to put an end to these threats," he said. One Israeli soldier was killed and several others wounded a few days earlier in a bomb attack near Beaufort castle in the occupied zone. The resistance movement Hizbullah claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack was not a violation of the terms of the April cease-fire understanding, which permits resistance operations against Israeli occupation troops.
Israel's latest annexation of Arnoun did not come as a surprise. It had already threatened Lebanon through diplomatic channels that it would "retake the village if it did not deploy Lebanese army troops or Internal Security Forces in the area and prevent resistance operations."
A Lebanese woman holding her baby walks through barbed wire to cross out of Arnoun (photo: AFP)
But the government had rejected the demand, stating that it would not provide security for an occupying force.
Lebanon has protested Arnoun's annexation to the five- nation monitoring group set up to observe the April truce understanding. President Emile Lahoud also delivered a strongly-worded protest to the US. "The annexation is a clear violation of the understanding," he said in the message. "The Israelis are seeking to play party politics with a Lebanese village and its inhabitants to sow discord between the state and the resistance." Observers in Lebanon believe the Arnoun move was motivated by the Israeli elections, which are only a few weeks away. They argue that the Likud government is trying to prove to the electorate that it is doing something to ensure the security of its soldiers in Lebanon. Opinion polls in Israel indicate that the public is unhappy with Netanyahu's handling of the Lebanon crisis.
Also, by occupying Arnoun, Israel is trying to set a precedent. It wants to obtain security guarantees from Beirut in exchange for a withdrawal. But Lebanon insists that it will not discuss any security arrangements with Israel or negotiate a withdrawal. It wants Israel to withdraw unconditionally, as stipulated by UN Security Council resolution 425.
The Secretary-General of Hizbullah Sayed Hassan Nasrallah said the aim of Israel's occupation was to support Netanyahu's election campaign. "The enemy aims to change the official Lebanese position regarding security guarantees in Arnoun to achieve political and security gains," he said. Hizbullah has also warned Israel that the occupation of the village would not provide protection for its soldiers. "We will prove to the enemy that these measures will achieve nothing and that they will continue to be killed and defeated," Nasrallah said.
Washington has called on Israel and Hizbullah to avoid an escalation of the conflict over Arnoun. "The issue should be tackled by the monitoring group," State Department Spokesman James Rubin said. The US has discouraged Lebanon from protesting the occupation to the UN ever since Arnoun was first sealed off last February. Analysts said the US and Israel have been trying for some time to give the monitoring group a bigger role. Lebanon and Syria are against this because it would mean the group would be authorised to deal with a limited withdrawal, which would render UN resolution 425 valueless.
But it is unlikely the group would be able to force a withdrawal of Israeli troops and their allies from Arnoun. And observers are waiting to see the outcome of the Lebanese government's use of diplomatic contacts.
