So let’s see. In every major war that Israel has ever fought, as soon as she starts winning, the Arabs get the UN to stop Israel from permanently damaging her foes. It’s in action again, although this time, Israel herself is complicit.
Rockets are still raining on Haifa—major ones, with major payloads. Other towns, too.
Soldiers are still dying in Lebanon (mostly from anti-tank missiles, because the “brave mujahadeen” of Hezbullah are afraid to take on the IDF in a pitched battle).
Hezbullah is declaring victory.
40,000 ground troops are stuck at the Lebanese border, waiting for orders from a government that is waiting on the UN cease-fire proposal—which Lebanon has already rejected—to pass. And by the way, the cease-fire does not call for the disarming of Hezbullah, nor does it call for the return of Israeli prisoners. Nice job, Ehud. No wonder 73% of Israelis think you totally blew it.
And oh yeah—palestinians are now on another stabbing spree. Except this time, they killed one of their proponents. Whoops. Guess he’s just another martyr for the cause, right?
Can’t wait to read the next Caroline Glick column on the cease-fire. This time, I’ll probably be agreeing with everything she writes.
What was it all for, Olmert? What was the point of going in, if you weren’t going to finish the job?
Update: I take it all back. The IDF is on the move. The goal: The Litani River.
One month after the outbreak of the war in Lebanon, during which the Israeli army has established a security zone along the border and reached a depth of 12 kilometers into Lebanese territory, the IDF got a ‘green light’ Friday night to continue north up to the Litani River.
The order was given against the backdrop of a fervor of international diplomatic talks hoping to reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as Friday night.
Let this be a lesson to me: Don’t pay attention to my analysis. I’m not an analyst. Or maybe I shouldn’t gripe first thing in the morning.
It’s okay, more or less — late, but not as much too late as it threatened to be, Olmert gave the green light today.
The job isn’t going to be finished by politicians; it’ll be finished by the soldiers, assuming the politicians remember what their damn job is.
Or get reminded pointedly enough.
I do wonder if my guess at an analysis was correct. Anyway, I haven’t been more glad to see you wrong.
My own opinion, fwiw, is that it doesn’t much matter, as long Olmert has, finally, turned military matters over to the generals, and isn’t going to joggle their elbows for at least 72 hours, no matter how many offers are made to consider the change of a an adjective or prepositional phrase in an impotent UN resolution.
Me too.
Hezbullah can say whatever it wants about victory. By any objective measure they have lost. The UN resolution moves them back beyond the Litaani river, for instance.
Israeli troops are in Lebanon. And Hezbullah terrorists/militiamen/gunmen are NOT in Israel.
This Lebanese invasion of Israel ended in Arab defeat, just like the one in 1948-1949. Don’t let anyone scam you. Israel gave the Arabs another bloody nose.
The traditional definition of military victory is who remains in control of the battlefield. IDF can go where it likes in Southern Lebanon. Hezbullah cannot. So, who controls the battlefield?
Hezbullah lost many more military assets than did the IDF. Yes, Hez can still murder civilians. But they were unable to impose their will on Israel.