Sunday
Jul112010
Israel: Hezbollah Diversion or Threat?
Sunday, July 11, 2010 at 6:56 
On Wednesday, in a briefing for journalists, Israel Defense Forces Colonel Ronen Merli revealed previously classified photographs allegedly showing Hezbollah's activities in towns and villages close to the Israeli border. Merli said:Hezbollah is establishing itself with increasing strength in the villages. Every day they are collecting significant intelligence on our forces along the border and every day they are engaged in digging, building and laying communications infrastructure to prepare themselves for war.
Israel Video: Netanyahu “Why the World Needs Us” (8 July)
On Friday, Haaretz's Avi Issacharoff stated that Israel not only failed in its 2006 war in Lebanon and that Hezbollah had demonstrated its capability in its campaign since "the southern Lebanon is once again in its hands". Noting the group's resistance against the French troops supposed to prevent military activities in southern Lebanon, Issacharoff listed Hezbollah's further "achievements":
According to various assessments, the Shi'ite organization has rebuilt its military capabilities north of the Litani River, where it has established a network of missile launchers any army in the world would be proud to possess. Furthermore, it has repaired the infrastructure of the Shi'ite villages south of the Litani that were severely hit in the war.
The response was not long in coming. A Hezbollah official warned London-based Asharq al-Awsat that Israel was "preparing something for us" and added that they would act with restraint.
Reader Comments (12)
In order to cover Israel properly, one needs to know Israel's internal politics.
That is why I prefer the Iran section of EA, over the covering of Israel.
This week is the final week in the debate over the 2011 budget. If you don't know this,
you unfortunetly fall into the spins trap.
The IDF wants more money - less cuts, and so he spins stories on Lebanon and wars.
Simple.
I assure you, there will be no war this summer, Ali.
Amir,
I agree with you about the need to always consider the internal dimension and am therefore grateful for the information and perspective that you bring to EA.
S.
I think it's also just a matter of paying attention to a number of different sources. The article on this subject that I read 3 days ago ends with the same analysis: "But maybe there's another thing with the timing. Summer is when Israel prepares its budget and government bodies fight for bigger pieces of the pie. And the defense establishment has a long shopping list."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/07/israel-army-declassifies-intelligence-material-showing-hezbollahs-tactics.html" rel="nofollow">http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2...
More important than the Israeli defense establishment's budget grabs:
Six years later, UN says barrier is still a big problem
Six years ago, on July 9, 2004, the International Court of Justice in The Hague gave an advisory opinion on Israel's construction of a part-concrete, part-fence barrier running along its borders with the West Bank. The court stated that in addition to being "contrary to international law," the construction of the barrier does not justify Israel's security objectives.
Since then, United Nations officials operating in the occupied Palestinian territories have marked the anniversary of this opinion with heartbreaking stories of the impact of the barrier on the lives and livelihood of almost three million Palestinians living in the West Bank, but mainly those caught between the barrier and the Israeli border, in what has been termed the "seam zone."
Read on: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/07/israel-un-says-after-six-years-barrier-still-a-big-problem.html" rel="nofollow">http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2...
And I'm grateful for the thorough analysis you bring about Iran, Scott. I follow many sources, but in my eyes, EA is the best. *Especially* because of the domestic dimension you mentioned. I learn a lot here.
Unfortunately, (and I don't want to sound too personal), EA coverage of Israeli matters doesn't have those qualities. Partly because of (again.. in my eyes),
Ali comes with a prearranged agenda. I respect every writer, but this bothers me. And I'm not getting paid by Hasbara.
Ali
People's biases and political leanings are often quite apparent to everyone except themselves. I have yet to meet anyone who has absolutely no political,religious or social leanings and who is totally unbiased in every aspect of their thinking. Your past claim to be a non-supporter of any country or any politics therefore makes me immediately suspicious.
For example, without offering "proof" - it is apparent to me personally that Scott Lucas has a bias against the Iranian Regime. That is quite acceptable to me because I am also biased against it. Also, without the need for "proof", your bias against the Israeli regime is also very apparent to me. However - here we must differ as I am a supporter of the Israelis.
All you need to do is be honest with yourself - and your honesty will become apparent to all .
Barry
Dear Ali,
I join Barry's reply. And I'm sorry.. I did not intend to get personal.
As Barry said "All you need to do is be honest with yourself - and your honesty will become apparent to all".
My eyes were looking at you, Barry. Finally, you are here. I have nothing to add since you have brought nothing on the table that can link my 'bias' to your naive claims. Therefore, I am not not going to waste my time by responding to your baseless accusations.
By the way, you and your-minded people who have nothing more than blind support for the entities in question and suspicions for people who attempt to criticize those walls built around you are the last ones to teach me how to be honest and to be sorry for me in this life.
Indeed, I am calling on you to face your honesty...
Ali
I am honest - My country, right or wrong!! - but Israel isn't my country.
I am curious as to what political leaning you admit to - and what country you pay allegiance to. You must at least live in some country - so I would think that you at least pay some allegiance to it??
Barry
Barry,
I am so sorry that I am not going to satisfy your curiosity regarding my political standing. I have already stated what you need to know and see no point in coming to a point where you might seem to understand me. Thank you.
:)) Barry, what a naive 'analysis' that is! Go to the context and see what I mean by "your-minded people". It is not "the ones who support Israel" but "the ones who have blind support to entities in question" which can be Israel, Iran, Syria, Turkey. etc...
The conversation is over for me. Good luck in finding a way to accuse me of being "anti-Israeli" :))
Ali
While we are talking about naive or otherwise "poor" analysis - consider this.
You made a quite reasonable post pointing out some goings-on in Israel and Hezbollah. I am not sure that there was a point or purpose to your post - if there was, I could not determine it. Anyway- no matter . The post was good as a source of information.. Amir then says that these matters are all about the 2011 Israeli budget deliberations - and therefore take this into account when considering these matters. You then ask him "what was the internal dynamic behind the 2006 war with regards to the link between IDF's budget demands and Israeli budget talks?" Why did you ask him this?? What relevance does it have to the current discussion of your post?? Are you implying by your question that there is/was a similar dynamic in 2006 to the one proposed by Amir??? Is your question meant to be a "put-down" of Amir's proposition??
Barry