Israel Matzav

The big IF

The Washington Post is reporting this morning about an across-the-board willingness to accept Hezbullah as a political party so long as it is disarmed and accepts the Lebanese government:

The United States, Israel, the United Nations and the European Union have reluctantly concluded that despite punishing military attacks, Hezbollah is likely to survive as a political player in Lebanon, and Israel now says it is willing to accept the organization if it sheds its military wing and abandons extremism, according to several key officials.

But it's not just Israel that is setting conditions.

"Ultimately, the question of Hezbollah has to be dealt with politically," a senior U.S. official said, speaking anonymously because of the new diplomatic effort. "If it disarms and abandons terrorism, it's fundamentally a different group."

"If we get rid of the missiles, then we have solved the problem of Israel," a senior European official said, "and Hezbollah will continue to exist as a political force."

But what if Hezbullah doesn't accept those conditions? And what if Syria is not willing to cut off Hezbullah's arms shipments as the US is hoping it will do. What then? That question is sitting like an elephant in the negotiating room - and no one is answering it.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:54 PM