The Sabra and Shatila Massacre

After a horrific attack on an Israeli family by a Lebanese teenager working with the Palestine Liberation Front (a faction of the PLO) in 1979, Israel looked for an ally to help create a secure buffer zone between itself and Lebanon. 

However, working with the  President-elect of Lebanon, Bashir Gemayel, proved to have deadly consequences. His paramilitary group, the Phalangists, massacred between 800 and 2,000 people in two Palestinian refugee camps called Sabra and Shatila. 

With the world in an uproar over the horrific news of this event, all fingers pointed blame towards Israel. Although the IDF entered Lebanon to stop the PLO’s terror, Israel accepted responsibility for the part it played in the dark story of Sabra and Shatila.

Big Ideas

1. Israel, like other countries, has had to confront difficult moments in its history.
2. Israel was the only party to investigate its own responsibility in the Sabra and Shatila massacre.
3. Leadership is being willing to investigate your own possible wrongdoings and learn from your mistakes.

Essential Questions

1. Was Israel responsible for the massacre at Sabra and Shatila?
2. How might a country show willingness to confront difficult moments in its history?
3. Should a country be held responsible for its indirect actions?