The Ehden Massacre occurred on June 13 in the northern mountains of Lebanon. In the middle of the night, Kataeb fighters loyal to the Gemayel family surrounded Ehden, a town in the mountain region, at the heart of the Frangieh stronghold. At four in the morning, an artillery shot was fired, marking the start of the attack. Israeli intelligence not only devised 'Operation Cedar' but also orchestrated a covert mission to persuade Bashir Gemayel to assign Samir Geagea to lead the assault, ensuring the objectives were met. On that day, MP Tony Frangieh, his wife Vera, and their three-year-old daughter Jihane were assassinated. Twenty-eight townspeople were also killed. By eliminating a top Christian leader who opposed Israel, Mossad intelligence introduced the concept of targeted assassinations for specific figures. This move strengthened Christian authority in the hands of Bashir Gemayel, positioning a supportive family at the helm of Lebanon's presidency, which allowed Tel Aviv to pursue a separate peace agreement with Lebanon. After the Ehden Massacre, Lebanon endured numerous internal conflicts among Christians, further complicating the 'Maronite Knot' between Kataeb allies of Israel and Arab Christians advocating full allegiance to the Arab world. Three decades on, this knot remains unresolved: General Michel Aoun and Suleiman Frangieh, the son of the slain MP, represent the future of Arab Christians. Together, their struggle refutes the so-called 'Clash of Civilizations' promoting a confrontation between East and West. Richard Labeviere is the Editor-in-Chief of 'La Defense' (Institute for Advanced Studies in National Defense — IHEDN) and has authored several works, including: 'Dollars of Terror'; 'From Bethlehem to Palestine' with Pierre Péan; 'The Great Northern Battle Begins' with François Thual; 'The United States and Islamic Fundamentalists', Grasset 1999; 'Osama bin Laden or the Assassin of the Father', Favre 2001; 'Terrorism Behind the Scenes', Grasset 2003; 'The Great Transformation, Baghdad – Beirut', Dar al-Farabi, Beirut 2008.

Publishing house: Dar al-Farabi Publishing and Distribution Number of Pages: 414 Year of Publication: 2009