Kim Ghattas

It's a far more uncompromising approach.

Although the idea that you could have a friendly government in Beirut and have a peace treaty with Lebanon is one that has been on the minds of

of Israeli officials for some time.

There are two important points to make here.

The Christians of Lebanon have already made overtures to Israel right after the civil war erupts in 1975, triggered by the sort of division within Lebanon

of being pro-Palestinian or pro, let's say, Lebanese nationalism.

And it's exemplified or embodied by the right-wing Christian factions in Lebanon who don't want to have a Palestinian state within a state.

But on the leftist side, it's Muslims and Christians, it's communists, it's Syrian Nationalist Party.

And it is those two camps that are at war, which becomes the Lebanese Civil War, but it's really about what is Lebanon?

Where does Lebanon belong to?

Is it part of the Arab fold fighting for Palestine, or is it just its own thing, or is it, in the vision of some, an ally of Israel?

The second point to mention, as I said, the Christians have been courting Israel before because they are trying to fight the Palestinians.

They first think that Syria can help them do that.

And then they realize that Syria is coming to Lebanon to control Lebanon, not to assist the Christians.

So then they turn to Israel.

And some of the first conversations between the Christian phalangists

and Israeli officials.

Well, they're Lebanese.

So the Jemayel family is a well-established family in Lebanon, Christian family.

And Pierre Jemayel, the founder of the Falangist party, was inspired by the Hitler youths and the Falangs in Italy.