Today in Labor History September 16, 1982: Phalangists and Israelis massacred as many as 3,500 Palestinian civilian refugees at the Sabra and Shatila camps in Lebanon. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ordered the Phalangist to clear the camps of PLO fights and then watched and did nothing as they slaughtered civilians. In 1983, the Kahan Commission found that the Israeli military bore indirect responsibility by allowing it to happen under their command. The commission also blamed Ariel Sharon, then Defense Minister, forcing him to resign. This sordid past worked in his favor in the long run, however, as his “toughness” helped him to win the national election for Prime Minister.

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