Israel Matzav

The beginning of the end for Lebanon? Part 4 - And this time Israel's in trouble too

Lebanese President Fouad Siniora and Hezbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah continued to spar at each other today. The only statement of consequence was Nasrallah's call for his supporters "not to fear civil war." Ouch!

Siniora vowed to keep his government afloat and resist demands by Hezbullah and its allies that would amount to "tyranny of the minority."

He told al-Reuters in an interview that the majority of the cabinet was ready to expand, but that he would not agree to demands by Hezbullah, Amal and Christian leader Michel Aoun, for more than a third of cabinet seats.

"They will become able to paralyze the meetings of the cabinet of ministers ... and have the ability to topple the government," Siniora said at his office in downtown Beirut.

"In a democracy, this is not possible," he said, noting the majority his coalition commands in parliament. "The point that's being mentioned there is the tyranny of the minority, which by all democratic principles, does not stand."

Meanwhile, Nasrallah told thousands of supporters in South Beirut that "some are trying to frighten us with this option [of a civil war] ... but I tell you - the weak are behind this scare campaign."

Blogger Michael J. Totten calls this, along with al-Qaeda's threats to the Lebanese government and Hezbullah's re-arming under UNIFIL's nose, a "perfect storm." (Hat Tip: Soccer Dad). He suggests that UNIFIL go home and warns that Israel had better get a new strategy - fast.

If this is, in fact, true, UNIFIL ought to just go home right now. These foreign soldiers are useless except as human shields.

Israelis need a new Lebanon strategy. Now. But they are not likely to get one, at least not until Ehud Olmert takes his rightful place among the losers of Israeli prime ministers. He’s threatening to invade Lebanon again as early as this coming Spring. So far there is no talk whatsoever of doing anything to Hezbollah’s logistics hub in Syria. Hebollah is nothing but a protest and charity movement without its supply train from Tehran through Damascus.

Instead, Israel pinky swears to leave Bashar Assad alone even though he, more than anyone else, is responsible for turning Lebanon into an engine of chaos. The Israelis even phoned Bashar while bombing Beirut and the Bekka. They told him to sleep tight because he is not on their list. So of course he went and rigged up Round Two.

In the meantime, though, Round 1.5 may (or may not) break out at any time.

Unfortunately, Michael is right on target regarding the situation here in Israel. Some of our leftists are itching to negotiate with Syria instead of fighting with them. For that matter, so is just about everyone else in the world except for George W. Bush.

What will happen? I hesitate to predict. But I have to wonder why the Lebanese turn out by the thousands to demonstrate against their government, while we allow the incompetent Olmert, Peretz and Livni to travel around the world playing their fiddles while Israel burns.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:32 PM