Israel Matzav

The Consequences of Cutting and Running

If you ask the average Israeli, they will tell you that they don't miss having IDF troops stationed in Southern Lebanon. After all, since Ehud Barak (or as he was known on the right, Ehud Barach , which means "Ehud escaped") withdrew Israeli troops from Southern Lebanon under the cover of darkness six years ago last night, not one Israeli soldier has been killed in Southern Lebanon. Well, except for Adi Avitan, Benyamin Avraham and Omar Sawaid, who were kidnapped by Hezbullah on October 7, 2000 and whose bodies were turned over to Israel in January 2004, along with kidnapped Israeli businessman drug dealer and philanderer Elhanan Tannenbaum.

But let's forget Avitan, Avraham and Sawaid, as the left does: no Israeli soldier has been killed in Lebanon in the last six years. Just like no Israeli has been killed in Gaza since August 2005.

But.... In the last six years, Southern Lebanon has become Hezbullahland. And now, we are all being threatened by it. Today, at a celebration of the Israeli escape from Southern Lebanon, Hezbullah chieftain Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah declared that Hezbullah has thousands of rockets pointed at Israel (which we knew already) and can hit any point in Northern Israel.

Here are some of Nasrallah's statements:

Northern Israel today is within the range of the resistance's rockets. The ports, bases, factories and everything is within that range.

When I say we have more than 12,000 rockets I don't mean 13,000 rockets.

I admit that the resistance has had for years - since 1992 - a respectable and strong rocket arsenal whether in quantity or quality.

Nasrallah said that the rockets would be used if Israel attacked Hezbullah's territory. Presumably, since Hezbullah is backed by Iran, they would also be used if Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities.

If anyone doubts that Hamas is developing the same kind of situation in Gaza, I would suggest that you aren't reading the papers enough.

Maybe we ought to think again about cutting and running from Judea and Samaria?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:35 PM