What if Hezbollah is my neighbour?

The situation is Israel and Lebanon at the moment is truly tragic, so much death and destruction and so many people displaced. Arguably in began in 1982, when the IDF invaded Lebanon and killed 19,000 people – the children of that war have now come of age.

We have situation that seems to be escalating by the day with no end in sight and a Prime minister who refuses to call for a ceasefire. He sees it as a pointless exercise and is in charge of a government that has exported £25m worth of arms to Israel in the past 18 months. We also have a US president who cannot criticise Israeli tactics, as they seem to be very similar to the ‘shock and awe’ tactics he employed in the Iraq war. Israel claims that there response is part of the ‘war on terror’…it seems that war on terror is becoming justification for tyranny and is becoming a terror in its own right.

And yet there are always two sides to the story – Israel has the right to protect it’s citizens, no country should feel under daily threat by terrorists and Hezbollah has consistently over the past decade launched attacks into Israel. When I was living in Haifa I worked at guesthouse on the on top of mount Carmel and I could climb onto the roof of the guesthouse and see the Lebanese border. During the time I was there the Israeli government launched operation ‘Grapes of Wrath’ where they bombed Hezbollah posts in southern Lebanon and from the top of the guest house I could see and hear the bombs exploding.

However, war is not the way the bring about a long-term sustainable peace, it creates more anger and alienation, it may prevent Hezbollah from attacking this year but they’ll be back with a new more radical form of terrorism.

Israel can learn something from both Hezbollah and Hamas who have both created a cultural and social infa-structure in their regions, running schools and hospital clinics, and therefore creating good will and building relationships with the local people. Israel should perhaps follow their example and try to build friendship with their neighbours rather than terrorising them and creating the next generation of suicide bombers and Hezbollah guerrillas.

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Comments

[Daniel Walters]

I agree that Israel's foreign policy is morally reprehensible and probably self-defeating... BUT we mustn't pretend that Hezbollah and Hamas are just the product of Israeli (or American) oppression. They are fascists and fundamentalists, pure and simple. Some of their support may come from those who are (or are feeling) oppressed, and they are skilful at using this to gain support. But this is just the same as the Nazis or the BNP.

Also, they are of course funded by countries who have said they want Israel wiped off the face of the earth, and have said as much themselves. So without wishing to condone the actions of the Israeli government, I can certainly understand why they're feeling jittery.

But yeah, it's a very ugly situation.

[Anderson]

Some food for thought there, thanks for sharing it.

[Timothy Wright]

Please forgive me , but World War 2 did a pretty good job of craeting a sustainable peace. The problem with todays fighting is that it doesn't go on long enough to create a solution. Total Victory.

I totally condone the Israeli government for protecting their people. Hez. kidnapped two of their men, and as a result of this action, those men are being returned. If one of these men were your brother, you would be sad at all the destruction, but probably pleased that your brother is being returned

Tim

[Ben Edson]

Tim, i think that the fight went on for way too long. Killing people is no way to create a sustainable peace.

WWII was a totally different situation, historically and culturally, the fight within Europe was against a life denying ideology that was manifest at a particular time in history - fascism. Once the ideology had been defeated then it was revealed in its true horror. The ideology of Hezbollah that Israel should not be allowed to exist is equally as bad and i am not condoning it. But there are many people peace-loving people in the middle East who have been opressed by Israelli policy towards them, such as the lebonese civiliians and the palestineian people. i would therefore agrue that Israelli policy towards them needs to change.

I'm also not sure whether WWII did create a sustainable peace, some would argue that the current crisis in the middle east is due to WWII.

[Timothy Wright]

I absolutely agree that Israel needs to treat people with respect and dignity. I am against torture, etc...

But I am a firm believer that war does work, if not God would not have led the israelites against all those people in the OT. God uses war to achieve his means.

The suatainable peace that was meant to be created was for Europe, not the Middle East.

The Middle East may need its own war to sort it out.

As an American, the US Civil War legally set the slaves free, not free from prejudiced that people have towards black people but legally forbid people to be owned as property.

Tim

[Ben Edson]

We'll agree to disagree. I don't believe in war and I don't think that God does.