The Nightmare of Jerusalem Part VI
Press TV (2025)
Film Review
This episode mainly concerns the Shia Amal movement in Lebanon, which ultimately evolved into Hezbollah. The Iranian lawyer Musa al-Sadr emigrated to Lebanon in 1974, where he founded Amal movement to assist Shia Muslims who were being persecuted (and massacred) by Israeli-supported right wing Christian Phalangists. The tremendous military success of Amal inspired Palestine’s first Intifada in 1987.
In February 1961, the head of Savak (Iran’s secret police) Temur Baktiar met with JFK to discuss his concerns about the Shah’s corruption. The latter responded by firing and exiling him. Baktiar, who visited West Germany and Italy speaking out against the Palavi regime’s corruption, also settled in Lebanon, where he lent his support to the Amal movement. After the Lebanese government arrested him, he narrowly avoided extradition to Iran, he was eventually assassinated by Savak agents in Iraq.
Israel’s 1978 Yum Kippur war was followed by increased protest activity by Palestinian refugee groups in Lebanon. They were being monitored both by the Mossad and Savak. The latter engaged in paramilitary activities in Lebanon, to prevent the Palestinian refugees from joining with Amal movement in a broader anti-Israel Arab alliance.
The main reason for Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon was the growing strength of Amal. After Israel occupied the predominantly Shia areas of South Lebanon, displacing hundreds of thousands of Shia Lebanese, Iran deployed a military platoon to Lebanon to defend the country’s Shia residents.
In August 1982 American marines and French troops deployed to Lebanon to support the Phalangists.
On November 16, 1982 Phalangists and Israelis disguised as Phalangists undertook a massacre of Palestinian refugees and Shia Muslims in Lebanon’s refugee camps. Between 700-3500 bodies were found. Because the bodies were dismembered and burned an exact count was impossible.
At this point all Lebanese Shia unified to form a militia (later known as Hezbollah) to defend Palestinian refugees and Lebanese Shia from the Zionists, Phalangists, French and Americans.
The Most Revolutionary Act 
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