Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory PDF
Preview Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory
C ALTERNATIVE HISTORIES: NARRATIVES FROM o THE MIDDLE EAST AND MEDITERRANEAN n Conf lict on Mount Series editor: Sargon Donabed f l i ‘This is an original and revealing look at the people and events surrounding the c Lebanon Lebanese Civil War and the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Makram Rabah has t collected a staggering amount of evidence to lay bare the connections between the o Druze and Maronites, and has produced unrivalled character studies of the two n leading figures, Bashir Gemeyal and Walid Junblat, their fathers, families and M followers. Readers will thank Rabah for conducting hundreds of interviews with The Druze, the Maronites and individuals who experienced the period and its upheavals first hand.’ o Michael Provence, University of California u Collective Memory n t Explores the underlying reasons for the conflict between L the Druze and the Maronites of Lebanon e MAKRAM RABAH b a The Druze and the Maronites – arguably the two founding communities of modern n Lebanon – have the reputation of being primordial enemies. Makram Rabah o attempts to gauge the impact of collective memory on determining the course and n the nature of the conflict between these communities in Mount Lebanon. He takes as his focus the ‘War of the Mountain’ in 1982, reconstructing the events of this war through the framework of collective remembrance and oral history and he challenges the idea that these group identities were constructed by their respective centres of power within the Maronite and Druze community, providing an alternative to the prevailing meta-narrative. Telling the stories of the many people who took part in these events, or who simply suffered as a consequence, helps to expose the intrinsic motives which led to this conflict and makes a valuable contribution to the field of Lebanese historical scholarship. M A Key Features K R • Introduces an innovative lens and framework (collective memory) for A understanding sectarian and communal hostilities: equally applicable to other M disputes including the current Sunni–Shiite conflict in the region R • Employs new methodologies as well as interdisciplinary approaches to the A B Lebanese conflict, from memory studies, anthropology and oral history A • Uses untapped primary and secondary sources, paving the way for further H research on collective memory and conflict • Draws on extensive interviews with many of those involved in or affected by the conflict • Presents collective memory as a reason for conflict, challenging the view that equates Lebanese civil strife with sectarianism or foreign intervention Makram Rabahis a Lecturer of History at the American University of Beirut. He is also the author of A Campus at War: Student Politics at the American University of Beirut 1967–1975(2009). Cover image: Sheikh Abu Hani Melhem Khaddaj, Kfarmatta Mount Lebanon, February 1984 (Progressive Socialist Party Archive) ISBN 978-1-4744-7417-7 edinburghuniversitypress.com ALTERNATIVEHISTORIES:NARRATIVESFROMTHEMIDDLEEASTANDMEDITERRANEAN CONFLICT ON MOUNT LEBANON Alternative Histories: Narratives from the Middle East and Mediterranean Series Editor: Sargon Donabed This series provides a forum for exchange on a myriad of alternative histories of marginalised communities and individuals in the Near and Middle East and Mediterranean, and those of Middle Eastern or Mediterranean heritage. It also high lights thematic issues relating to various native peoples and their narratives and – with particular contemporary relevance – explore encounters with the notion of ‘other’ within societies. Often moving beyond the conventional statecentred and dominant monolithic approach, or reinterpreting previously accepted stories, books in the series examine and explain themes from intercommunal relations, environment, health and society, and explore ethnic, communal, racial, linguistic and religious developments, in addition to geopolitics. Editorial Advisory Board Professor Ali Banuazizi Dr Aryo Makko Professor Laura Robson Professor Paul Rowe Professor Hannibal Travis Books in the Series (Published and Forthcoming) Sayfo: An Account of the Assyrian Genocide ‘Abd alMasih Nu‘man of Qarabash translated and annotated by Michael Abdalla and Łukasz Kiczko Tunisia’s Andalusians: The Cultural Identity of a North African Minority Marta Dominguez Diaz Palestinian Citizens of Israel: A History Through Fiction, 1948–2010 Manar Makhoul Armenians Beyond Diaspora: Making Lebanon their Own Tsolin Nalbantian Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory Makram Rabah The Art of Minorities: Cultural Representation in Museums of the Middle East and North Africa Edited by Virginie Rey Shi‘a Minorities in the Contemporary World: Migration, Transnationalism and Multilocality Edited by Oliver Scharbrodt and Yafa Shanneik Protestants, Gender and the Arab Renaissance in Late Ottoman Syria Deanna Ferree Womack www.edinburghuniversitypress.com/series/ahnme CONFLICT ON MOUNT LEBANON THE DRUZE, THE MARONITES AND COLLECTIVE MEMORY Makram Rabah Edinburgh University Press is one of the leading university presses in the UK. We publish academic books and journals in our selected subject areas across the humanities and social sciences, combining cuttingedge scholarship with high editorial and production values to produce academic works of lasting importance. For more information visit our website: edinburghuniversitypress.com © Makram Rabah, 2020 Edinburgh University Press Ltd The Tun – Holyrood Road 12 (2f) Jackson’s Entry Edinburgh EH8 8PJ Typeset in 11/15 Adobe Garamond by Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire, and printed and bound in Great Britain A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 4744 7417 7 (hardback) ISBN 978 1 4744 7419 1 (webready PDF) ISBN 978 1 4744 7420 7 (epub) The right of the contributors to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003 (SI No. 2498). CONTENTS List of Figures viii Note on Transliteration and Style xi Acknowledgements xii Map: Operation Peace for Gallilee xviii Introduction 1 1 Studying the Druze–Maronite Conflict through the Prism of Collective Memory and Oral History 7 History vs Memory 9 Sources and Methodology of Oral History 11 Paul Andary Shot Twice 13 The Curious Case of Ghanam Tarabay 16 The Trope of Oral History 20 The Shah of Ba‘abda Meets Salazar 21 Bashir: The Series 24 The Progressive Socalist Party’s Oral History Project 25 The Council for Druze Studies and Development 27 The Permanent Bureau for Druze Associations 28 vi | conflict on mount lebanon 2 The Druze and the Maronites: Perceptions of the Other 35 The Druze: Frontier Warriors and Feudal Lords 36 Unity in Variety 43 A Recipe for Disaster 45 Emir Bashir vs Sheikh Bashir 47 The Maronites: Lebanon, a Refuge 51 The Maronites Go West 55 The Maronites and the Eastern Question 58 The Birth of the Lebanese Nation 63 3 The Communal Centres of Power and Elements of Collective Identity 77 The Custodians of Identity 79 The Warrior Monks 82 The Kaslik Research Committee 86 The Kataeb: In the Service of Lebanon 91 The Druze Way 94 Lost Druze History 96 Druze: Blood Brothers across Generations 98 O Brother, Where Art Thou? 101 Wise vs Ignorant 102 Druze Oneness through Time and Space 106 Progressive Socialism Meets the Druze 108 The ‘1958 Generation’ 114 The Slaying of Na‘im Moghabghab 119 4 The Road to Conflict 130 Harb al-Jabal: 1982–3 130 The Rise of Bashir Gemayel 136 Unity at Gunpoint 139 Zahle: Victory in Defeat 143 The Alliance of Minorities Resurrected 147 The Likud Party and Bashir 149 The End of the Affair: The Killing of Kamal Joumblatt 151 Preparing for War 153 The Missed Opportunity 155 Crossing the Rubicon: Operation Snowball 160 contents | vii 5 The Point of No Return 167 Reclaiming our Rightful Place 168 Bashir vs Walid 174 The Battle of Qoubbei‘ alKrayeh: The First Spark 176 You’re Back? . . . We Have to Fight 178 The Assassination of Bashir 186 Long Live the King 190 6 The War of Others vs Druze–Maronite Collective Animosity 198 The Israeli Tide Shifts 198 The Druze Followup Commission 201 The Unification of the Druze 210 The Battle of Mtolleh 219 7 History Meets the Battlefield 230 The Maronite Via Dolorosa 230 General Beaufort Resurrected 232 The Faustian Deal Revoked 234 The Druze Canton 235 Israel Exits the Inferno 237 The Lebanese Army: One Last Try 240 The Battle of Bhamdoun 243 The Siege of Deir alQamar 252 The Maronite Exodus 254 8 Postconflict Rehashing and the Preservation of Collective Memory 262 Collecting the Collective 262 The Story of a Hero Called Charbel 263 Zajal Harb al-Jabal 276 Bashir . . . We have Returned 284 Conclusion 291 Postwar Lebanon: The Quest for Reconciliation 291 Appendix: Table of Interviews 301 Bibliography 303 Index 314 FIGURES 1.1 Paul Andary 14 1.2 Ghanem Tarabay holding the PSP banner at a local rally 17 1.3 PSP credential of Ghanem Tarabay 19 3.1 Jocelyn Khoueiry 85 3.2 Bashir Gemayel greeting Bulus Na‘aman 87 3.3 Pierre Gemayel, founder of alKataeb, surrounded by members of his party 92 3.4 AlKataeb parade, 1937 93 3.5 Sheikh al‘Aql Muhammad AbuShaqra of the Joumblatti faction Kamal Joumblatt and Sheikh al‘Aql Ali Abdul Latif of the Yazbaki faction 104 3.6 PSP rally in Barouk, March 1951 109 3.7 Unveiling of the statue of Fakhr alDin in Baakline 111 3.8 Kamal Joumblatt in his home in Moukhtara 114 3.9 Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the PLO, with Kamal Joumblatt 115 3.10 Kamal Joumblatt with his rebel fighters in Moukhtara, 1958 118 3.11 Majid Arslan and Na‘im Moghabghab 121 3.12 Zalfa Chamoun, Camille Chamoun, Majid Arslan and Na‘im Moghabghab 122 figures | ix 4.1 Kamal Joumblatt with his driver and bodyguard 133 4.2 Kamal Jumblatt’s car riddled with bullet holes 134 4.3 Walid Joumblatt at the funeral of his father 135 4.4 Kamal Joumblatt identity cards and a picture of his son, damaged by bullets 135 4.5 Bashir Gemayel 138 4.6 Walid Joumblatt 140 4.7 Bashir Gemayel, Camille Chamoun and Pierre Gemayel 141 4.8 Returning from Zahle 146 4.9 Ariel Sharon, Bashir Gemayel and Lieutenant General Rafael Eitan 150 4.10 Bashir Gemayel meeting with Lieutenant General Rafael Eitan 151 4.11 Assad to Joumblatt: ‘How much you resemble your father!’ 153 4.12 PSP cadets at the military academy, 1978 156 4.13 Sharon to Bashir: ‘We rearrange the northern border by launching a major military operation . . .’ 162 5.1 Naji Butrus addressing his troops before their Shuf incursion 169 5.2 Bashir Gemayel, President Elias Sarkis and Walid Joumblatt 175 5.3 The first and only meeting between Bashir Gemayel and Walid Joumblatt 175 5.4 Massoud ‘Poussy’ Achkar and Fadi Frem 180 5.5 The Beirut Defense Unit 180 5.6 Mir Majid welcoming Bashir Gemayel into his home in Aley 184 5.7 Faisal Arslan, Bashir’s Druze partner 184 5.8 Charles Malik, Bashir Gemayel and Faisal Arslan, following the tallying of votes 185 5.9 Bashir Gemayel in his last photograph, at the Monastery of the Holy Cross 188 5.10 Amin Gemayel, Pierre Gemayel and Bashir Gemayel 192 6.1 Farid Hamada 209 6.2 Akram Shehayab, Anwar alFatayri, Raja Harb, Sharif Fayyad and Hisham Nasreddine 214 6.3 Fouad AbuNadir 220 6.4 The alSaddam unit, fashioned after the elite Israeli unit Sayeret Matkal 221
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