Israel and Lebanon: A History  Internal Lebanese politics have
long influenced relations with Israel.  Print this page Print
this page  Like Israel, the Syrians had used the civil war to
gain a foothold in Lebanon. They had intervened in 1976, first
on the side of the Christians, then on the side of the PLO.
With close Syrian support, the PLO grew bolder and in July 1981
launched a huge artillery barrage on northern Israel. War was
narrowly averted through last-minute American mediation.  Israel
Invades  The cease-fire broke down a year later, when Israel
launched Peace for Galilee, an operation designed to drive the
PLO and the Syrians from Lebanon and pave the way for a peace
treaty with the Lebanese Christian leadership under the
charismatic Bashir Gemayel.  In June 1982, Israeli ground forces
quickly overran PLO positions in southern Lebanon; on August 30,
Arafat and the rest of the PLO leaders were forced to leave
Lebanon after intense Israeli shelling of Beirut.  Gemayel,
elected president in July, spo