ABSTRACT
Israel’s military siege was designed to induce the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to depart from Beirut before the US diplomatic squeeze on Jerusalem compelled it to lift its blockade. Israeli forces advanced into West Beirut and strengthened their siege of PLO strongholds. The Israeli cabinet agreed to end the siege of Beirut and allow the introduction of the multinational force on day one of the PLO evacuation. To avoid the impression that the cabinet lifted the siege in response to the US squeeze, Israel leaked reports that Begin had decided to end the blockade before Ronald Reagan’s intervention. The Reagan administration’s pressure on Israel during its siege of Beirut included presidential telephone calls and letters, entreaties from Secretary Haig, warnings from Secretaries Shultz and Weinberger, reports to Congress on the possible misuse of American-origin armaments, and a suspension of the sale of certain types of weapons used by Israel in Lebanon.
