They say that death and taxes are the only two sure things in life. Maybe tensions flaring up every few years in the Mideast should be added to the list?
Once again, all eyes are focused on the crisis going on in the Mideast with Israel and Hezbollah.
While the taking of two Israeli soldiers and killing of eight others by the terrorist group on Israel’s soil recently inflamed the current situation, this is by no means a new conflict.
Israel has been fighting to keep its people and property safe for decades. This latest escalation only furthers that fight.
When Israel pulled out of Southern Lebanon in 2000 and not one Israeli troop was on Lebanese soil, it was expected that Lebanon’s military would patrol its southern territory along the border with Israel and both sides could live in peace.
As we see today, that is not the case. Thousands of Hezbollah terrorists are sitting just across the border from Israel.
For many Americans, the war thousands of miles away means little. For others, this latest series of events should remind all of us that terrorism must and will be defeated.
To put things in context, suppose a terrorist group was operating in Tijuana, was shelling the San Diego area, and its members had crossed into U.S. territory and snatched several U.S. servicemen? Would we be expected not to respond? I think even the French would have to take military action against this kind of attack.
One need only remind Americans that it was Hezbollah, with Iran’s financial backing and blessing, that bombed U.S. Marine barracks in 1983 in Beirut, killing 241 servicemen.
To say wiping out Hezbollah is not in our interests too would be foolish. Israel has every right to make it a goal to defeat this cancer.
Much of the solution to this problem rests with the current Lebanese government. If Lebanese officials had the backbone and willingness to disarm this group and have their military patrol the southern portion of the country along the Israeli border, we would likely not be dealing with this problem now.
I’ve heard Arab speaker after Arab speaker on television in the last week lay blame for this crisis on Israel, the United States, moderate Arab countries and just about every other entity.
These Arab officials need only look in the mirror to the solution. Disarm the terrorists and have Lebanon act like the sovereign state it can and should be.
As for Iran and Syria’s meddling in this problem, the old adage of sticking one’s nose where it doesn’t belong may soon come back to haunt them.
We all want peace in the region and we know that blame for decades of conflict rests with many countries, including Israel.
If there are issues to be dealt with, they should be between the Lebanese government and Israel, not a terrorist group saying it represents the people of Lebanon. The only thing this group represents is more terror and suffering for the people of Lebanon.
The time is now for Lebanese to speak with one voice and rid themselves of this cancer. If they don’t, then Israel can and will do it for them.
” Freelance writer Dave Thomas covers sports for the La Jolla Village News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the paper.