2006-08-05-Lebanon-Israel
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Commentary
Emerging lessons from
the war in Lebanon
jewishsightseeing.com, August 5, 2006
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2006-08-05-Lebanon-Israel |
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jewishsightseeing.com, August 5, 2006 |
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By Ira Sharkansky
JERUSALEM—Israel is reestablishing
the security zone in southern Lebanon that it gave up in a spirit of
frustration and a hope for peace in June, 2000. The hope dimmed three
months later with the start of Intafada al-Aqsa, which is another
chapter in the same story. We have not heard much lately from the former
general and prime minister, Ehud Barak, who gloried in the exit from
Lebanon. Reports are that the "four mothers" who led the
campaign to leave Lebanon are now three, or maybe two, or one. One has
left the country, and one may have changed her mind. One of the
others, now a grandmother, has joined a movement calling itself
"Waking up on time," and is demonstrating against this war.
Other reports are that voices in the American
administration are critical of the Israeli army for not moving quickly
enough against Hezbollah. The news from the fighting reminds me of the
Japanese in the South Pacific, who would rather die than surrender, and
the Viet Cong, who kept coming. Israel has restricted itself with a
concern for civilian casualties and the niceties of what it defines as
acceptable warfare. Notice that you have not seen pictures of enemy
positions cleaned out with flame throwers, or villages being liberated
with napalm. The IDF is moving slowly due to the limitations, and a
concern for its own casualties. It may be inconvenient for George and
Condoleezza, but not for those whose relatives, friends, and neighbors
are doing the work.
The government of Malaysia has volunteered to send
1,000 troops to an international force. The offer came in the context
of a meeting that involved the president of Iran, and yet another
statement that the destruction of Israel would settle issues in the
Middle East. If there is any wisdom in the United Nations, the
Malaysians will go somewhere else, or stay home.
Israel appreciates the support it has gotten from George
W. Bush, Tony Blair and a few others, but the help can dribble away via
a concern for disproportionate responses and a desire to preserve one of
the Arab darlings, i.e., the somewhat anti-Syrian prime minister of
Lebanon. Those mentoring him are less inclined to mention the pro-Syrian
president of that country and the pro-Syrian chair of its parliament.
The great problem in the region is that Americans cannot
read its map. They confused Iraq with Iran. The country attacked with
all its power and good will was a monster, but impotent outside of
itself. Its greatest sin in recent years was viciousness against its own
citizens, especially Shiites. How many Americans would still define that
as a problem?
Those looking for weapons of mass destruction chose the
wrong country. They have been coming from Iran in the form of Islamic
fanatics reinforced with oil revenue and Shiite death wishes. If the
authorities in charge of those lovely people are allowed to continue
with their nuclear program, it will be a good time to age quickly and
die a natural death.
Meanwhile, a couple of thousand "improved" katyushas
and other missiles have been fired at our cities. They are
"improved" by having their warheads filled with metal balls
and other nastiness meant to spread civilian destruction beyond that
done by the explosion and the shrapnel of the metal casing. It should
not be difficult to accuse those fighters of violating the laws of war,
and including in the charge the governments of Syria and Iran that
supplied and trained them. Justice demands a wider war. Those in charge
may decide that we have gone far enough. Still loose are all those
Muslim fanatics. We can hope that they will see what we have done to
Lebanon, and choose some other place to liberate.
Sharkansky is an emeritus member of the political science department at Hebrew University in Jerusalem |
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