Twenty years ago, on May 24, 2000, Israel’s 18-year military engagement in Lebanon came to a quiet conclusion. IDF soldiers detonated the Israeli military outposts in southern Lebanon – Beaufort, Pumpkin and others – packed their gear, turned around and returned to Israel via the Metulla border crossing.
Unlike other armed conflicts, its end was not determined by a dramatic battle, nor settled by both sides signing agreements around a negotiating table. Rather, the Israeli government was persuaded by a small group of civilians that the army’s presence there was no longer necessary for the country’s safety.
