There have been murmurings from the readership of our local newspapers that there has to be a ceasefire in the current conflict between Israel and Hezbullah. I do feel that they are wrong when they states that we are “stubbornly defending Israel’s right to bomb civilian infrastructures.” No, we defend the right of a sovereign nation-state, Israel, to defend itself against a terrorist organization,
Hezbullah. That group established itself within a weak nation-state, Lebanon and hijacked Lebanon’s foreign policy by waging war on Israel by itself without the consent of the host Lebanese government. Its self-proclaimed end point is nothing less the destruction of Israel (similar to that of Hamas in Gaza).
The highest duty of a nation-state is to protect its citizens. Hezbullah, not the US or Israel, should be the target of your scorn, for it was those state-less terrorists that crossed the sovereign border of Israel and killed its citizens and kidnapped two more. I take it that you believe that Israel should have just ignored this attack and allow this to happen? Do you even recognize the ramifications of the word “sovereign” in this event? I take it that you do not support the right of Israel to defend itself?
It is well known that Hezbullah operates its military forces deeply embedded within civilian residential areas for this exact reason. When Israel bombs these military installations while trying to degrade those that are attacking it, Hezbullah is able to blame them solely for any civilian casualties and deaths. While “smart” weapons have done much to alleviate destruction to civilian infrastructure and deaths (compare them to the carpet bombings of WWII or even the Hezbullah rockets aimed specifically at civilian areas), they are not perfect. I am still waiting for those calling for a ceasefire to propose a better way that Israel can defend itself go after those that violate its borders and kills its citizens? No one want to see people die, but when Hezbullah (or any other person or organization wants something that does not belong to them) are willing to use violence to achieve their goals, things will break and people will die….even those that are blameless, not matter which side of the conflict they are on.
No, the final responsibility for all the death and destruction belongs to Hezbullah and the government of Lebanon (whose leader, President Siniori has praised Hezbullah) that continues to allow terrorists to operate within its borders and citizens. Hezbullah knows that it would lose a strictly military campaign with Israel if it would withdraw from civilian areas and maintain its bases and wage war similar to Western sensibilities. But it realizes that it can (and is) winning the media war in the West by not doing this. It successfully is showing the civilian woes and not its own complicit military actions in those areas, even as it is causing that woe. Continuing to do so, and successfully shifting the blame to Israel for being the root cause, will allow it to win its final goal – the destruction of Israel.
Where is the outrage of civilized people everywhere when the terrorists do not follow the Geneva Conventions? Why does the West automatically believe terrorist propaganda over a liberal democratic state that is surrounded by its enemies?
Do your homework. Israel did indeed occupy Lebanon for years to keep these same types of people from attacking its people. It left in 2000, giving up its safety zone at the behest of the world community. Now, six years later, under attack once more, it must fight that battle once more; Hezbullah is the aggressor. Unless Hezbullah is totally disarmed for good will there be peace.
