Sabra & Shatila Massacre That Forced Sharon’s Ouster Recalls Worst of Jewish Pogroms

In this segment from “Democracy Now,” hosted by Amy Goodman, Ellen Siegel, a Jewish-American nurse working at the Gaza Hospital, provides a harrowing account of the Sabra and Shatila massacre that occurred in September 1982. Siegel describes the chilling presence of the Falange militia, the brutal killing of a Palestinian hospital worker, and the threats faced by foreign health workers during the massacre. She condemns Ariel Sharon, labeling him a war criminal for his role in permitting these atrocities. The discussion also features insights from Professor Rashid Khalidi, who presents new evidence from the Israel State Archives implicating Sharon and the Israeli government, as well as American complicity, in the massacre. Khalidi emphasizes Israel’s objectives in Lebanon and Sharon’s ambitions to reshape the region, critiquing the misleading official pretexts for the invasion.