Wednesday, April 20, 2016

HWA, Yasser Arafat and the Sabra and Shatila Massacre

On September 17, 1982 HWA began writing one of his co-worker letters for WCG members and co-workers (non-members who donated to WCG).

He begins with these words.
I call on you to AWAKEN! We seem numb to the frightening SIGNIFICANCE of events in Europe and the Middle East! Today — just hours ago — the West German government FELL! It happened suddenly. Yesterday the Israelis moved swiftly into West Beirut, after the assassination of the President Elect of Lebanon. Just a couple days ago the Pope received terrorist leader Yasser Arafat and was photographed with him. Although my aides told me Arafat had invited me to a meeting with him, I refused to see him or to allow one of my aides to see him in my stead. Tomorrow the funeral will be held for Princess Grace of the kingdom of Monaco. Probably the November issue of The PLAIN TRUTH will carry a picture of Princess Grace and me dining side by side at a formal banquet.
Let's break this down a bit.
I call on you to AWAKEN! We seem numb to the frightening SIGNIFICANCE of events in Europe and the Middle East!
 HWA always says this.
Today — just hours ago — the West German government FELL! It happened suddenly.  
And today such an event seems quite distant and remote today.
Yesterday the Israelis moved swiftly into West Beirut, after the assassination of the President Elect of Lebanon.
Indeed the President Elect of Lebanon was assassinated. A man connected with a pro-Syrian party was arrested for it. After that the Israelis advanced into West Beirut. It was particularly easy since the PLO fighters had withdrawn as part of an earlier ceasefire agreement. Part of the deal was that the Israelis would not advance into West Beirut. This was ignored.
Just a couple days ago the Pope received terrorist leader Yasser Arafat and was photographed with him. Although my aides told me Arafat had invited me to a meeting with him, I refused to see him or to allow one of my aides to see him in my stead.
So although HWA was quite comfortable meeting with authoritarian leaders like Nicolae Ceaușescu he chose to draw the line at Yasser Arafat.
Tomorrow the funeral will be held for Princess Grace of the kingdom of Monaco. Probably the November issue of The PLAIN TRUTH will carry a picture of Princess Grace and me dining side by side at a formal banquet.
Was HWA exploiting the tragic death of Princess Grace to insist that the end is near? Over thirty years later we are still waiting for HWA's words to be fulfilled.

In any event it was later decided to have a photo of President Reagan and Chancellor Schmidt on that cover.

HWA then talked about other stuff and near the end he alludes to the massacres at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.
I began this letter Friday, September 17. Because of interruptions, and the Sabbath day, I have been interrupted until now, Monday afternoon, the 20th. Just this afternoon President Reagan went on the air announcing that due to the horrifying massacre in Lebanon late Friday after I started this letter, he is sending the U.S. Marines back into Lebanon to restore order. The Israelis are being condemned around the world, though they did not directly or intentionally cause it. TERRORIST AND TERRIFYING WORLD EVENTS ARE ACCELERATING BY THE HOUR!
The massacre lasted thirty-six hours. Those who committed the massacre, right wing Falangists, were let in by Israeli orders. The whole time the massacre raged for thirty-six hours Israeli personnel were stationed around the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. Defense Minister Ariel Sharon was later forced to resign after an Israeli investigation judged him to be indirectly responsible for the massacre.

But it is clear with this letter that HWA had already reached his conclusion that Israeli personnel were not to blame.

It is so strange to see the terrible timing with HWA deciding to condemn Yasser Arafat and boast that he would not meet with him at about the same time that thousands of Palestinian civilians were being massacred and murdered en masse by the Falangists over thirty-six hours while Israeli personnel were stationed outside Sabra and Shatila.

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