Every indexed document

they were not part of Lebanon. I’d met their Syrian inhabitants when I

known as the Sheba’a Farms. But as I knew

there were accusations from Hizbollah and its

alongside Shaul Mofaz at a command post on the border

we did have to hold off for a further 36 hours

and Hizbollah promptly moved in to take them over

of its “occupation” fig-leaf for targeting and terrorizing the

but a critical political one: to denude Hizbollah

that was not the most difficult part. The withdrawal had not just a

to ensure we had a plan to get our troops out as quickly and

the Maronite-led South Lebanese Army militia.

accusations of weakness from right-wing politicians

to put it off: a Hizbollah attack in the

had come to accept we would be better off pulling out. It wasn’t just

it wouldn’t happen. I had been against keeping the

while I stood in the Knesset battling to get approval to give

in what was now Israel. We also included the hot springs at

I saw no reason not to do this. If only because of Assad’s failing health

I sat down with Danny Yatom and US Ambassador Martin

created the impression that they’d decided to negotiate the details of a full