THINGS WHICH MUST BE DISSEMINATED

Pulse Media

17.7.06

Israeli tactics?

I didn't want to believe Hoda when she said Israel was trying to forment divisions among Lebanese by dropping leaflets calling people to leave certain areas. I'm not so sure anymore.

I have relatively little insight into the current goings on, even if I follow them quite closely. Like many, I am subject to what the media wishes to share or not share. I do think, however, that Israel seeks to ignore the fact, as the US does in its relations with the world, that while Hizbullah may be run by power-thirsty individuals, it is more than that. It does not come out of a vacuum. There are reasons why such organisations exist. These reasons are support from ordinary individuals. Lebanon is a multi-ethnic and multi-faith society, but it is also an arab country, and naturally, Arabs (though not only Arabs) feel sympathy for other Arabs who are oppressed by Israel and the US. The suffering of Palestinians in the occupied territories strike a chord with Lebanese particularly as they themselves have already in the past suffered because of Israel and the US. Therefore, support for Hizbullah is natural, even if many Lebanese despise Hizbullah, Syria and Iran (I am presuming these countries are in fact behind Hizbullah, even though all I have to believe that is what is relayed by the media).
What I am getting at, is, that the israeli army, by bombing links between individuals within Lebanon, seems to be attempting to drive them apart, perhaps thinking, that this will create a wedge between Hizbullah and the Lebanese people. This is at best foolish, as is obvious from the comments of Lebanese citizens on the web who despite loathing Hizbullah choose to support them in this case, as Hizbullah seems to be the only ones defending Lebanon from israeli aggression. Indeed, the Lebanese army is apparently relatively weak, and naturally doesen't wish to risk the total anihilation of the country. Hizbullah obviously has little to risk, since its real objectives are not the safety of Lebanon.
If Israel really wished to guarantee its safety, it would be well advised to start by treating others with respect. What many don't know, is, that prior to the kidnapping of the soldier in Gaza, israeli soldiers entered Gaza and kidnapped two Palestinians suspected by Israel of being militants. This is not news apparently, yet when an israeli combatant is kidnapped, it is treated as an outrage. Talk about propaganda!
Furthermore, it would be far more intelligent for Israel and its ally the US to cooperate with Lebanon, without seeking to forment divisions within this multicultural society.
Hardly anything Israel or the US have done in their history reflects a desire to bring peace to their shores or to the world. Remember: terror is not practised only by organisations. The greatest number of acts of terror in the history of the world have been committed by states against civilians.