Sending the Lebanese a message
As Israel floats the idea of a non-aggression pact with Lebanon, Commentary magazine's Michael Totten writes that even if the pact doesn't work, it would do well to send a message to the Lebanese people that Israel isn't interested in fighting them. That's a message surprising number of people in Lebanon – probably the least anti-Israel of all Arab countries – don't get to hear, Totten writes.
Israel is hardly well-liked in Lebanon, but neither is Hezbollah, and neither is Syria. Even though a non-aggression pact is likely to go nowhere right now, suggesting one to Lebanese may help clarify something: most Lebanese don't actually know that Israelis prefer peace to war. They should, but they don't. They've been soaked with so much disinformation and propaganda for so long, and there's still a great deal of anger left over from Israel's invasions in 1982 and 2006. Most of Hezbollah's less fanatical supporters are drawn from the ranks of those who sincerely believe Israel is a threat to them and that Hezbollah is their only defense. This is nonsense on stilts – Israel wouldn't have invaded Lebanon at all in 2006 if Hezbollah had not first attacked. But this perception persists nevertheless...This should be obvious to most Lebanese, but I know from conversations with people across the political spectrum that it isn't. Many don't know whether they should support the Hezbollah-led "March 8" bloc in next year's election, or whether they should support the "March 14" bloc led by those who kicked out the Syrians in 2005. The Syrian regime is currently pretending to be more benign that it really is by offering, for the first time ever, to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon. Israelis are smart to signal, at the same time, that they sincerely do not mean Lebanese harm. No one in the Lebanese government or media will explain that to them. The "March 14" bloc is already sensitive to the near-constant accusation that it's a "Zionist hand." Israelis need to get that message out by themselves.
Public opinion on the idea of a peace treaty with Israel is mixed. Some want a peace treaty now. Some even want an alliance with Israel, although they tend to keep quiet about that and are far more likely to share that opinion off-the-record with me than they are with their fellow Lebanese. Others don't want a peace treaty until outstanding issues–the supposed occupation of the Shebaa Farms, and the hundreds of thousands of unwanted and dangerous Palestinian refugees–are resolved. Even some otherwise sensible Lebanese I know wallow in conspiracy theories and believe Israelis want to conquer South Lebanon and steal water from the Litani River. Hezbollah's hard-core supporters don't ever want a peace treaty with Israel. But a non-aggression pact? An agreement that we'll leave you alone if you leave us alone? Put that on a ballot in a popular referendum and it would pass overwhelmingly.
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u say most israelis want peace not war if true why have they occupied our country for so long if the truly want peace why dont they leave and let the people in the south have a better future u say they want peace why do they keep invading our airspace before and after the 34 day war they say the jews dont forget and forgive and i say the arabs dont forget and forgive what the jews have done to the lebanese.
Get tour facts right..
I can tell you that we (people of Lebanon) do not trust Syria. I want a peace with Israel because I don’t think they want war with us. Hezbollah did good but time for them to give up guns.
I just wanted to let you know that the population in Lebanon goes like this, according to the CIA world fact book: 35% Shiite, 35% Christian, 25% Sunni and the rest are Druze and some other sects. Anyway, the 35% Shiite is automatically in support of Hezbollah, they say the half of Christians that follow Auon, who is Hezbollahs political ally, supports Hezbollah. Right there that 35+18=53% of the country. Do not forget that there are also some others, like Wayed (a druze politician) and all his followers. Anyway, about 55% of Lebanon is completely behind Hezbollah.
Do not forget they act in response to anything. They never start. In 2006, they captured Israeli soldiers after Israel captured their militants under the illegal occupation of South Lebanon before 2000!!!!
So it sounds like your for endless war. Also that you believe that 2006 was started by israel right? You come acroos as a very close minded person. Read that and tell me again why israel was wrong to invade. “First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon. The Government of Israel ordered the invasion as a response to the assassination attempt against Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov, by the Abu Nidal Organization.” This article states that israel wishes to show the lebanon people that they dont want there country. They want peace but everyone around them want them gone. The people responsible goes as far back as WWII I believe Britain had a colony that they had promised to to groups. That is why there is so much hatred towards israel. Even though it wasnt there fault they were promised a place in the world right after briain promised it to some one else
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Lebanon_War
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Mike
10/28/08 04:18 PM
is this article a joke??? u speak as if you’re a professor of political science at some random university but ur terrible outcry is nonsense to anyone who understands the true definition of middle east politics… u said it ur self… israel invaded lebanon in 1982. stop there!!!!!! u are not permitted to speak of any logic for israel to exist upon this fact. may u burn in hell and all who think like u!!!