Israel Must Defeat Hezbollah

James Zogby’s reflexive condemnation of Israel’s actions against Hezbollah and US support for Israel is particularly disheartening because Hezbollah and its prime backer, Iran, are a threat not only to Israel but to Lebanon itself and the entire region.

Where was Zogby when Hezbollah, a terrorist group openly committed to Israel’s destruction, was accumulating, via Syria and Iran, 13,000 missiles ready to be launched at Israel? Where was Zogby when UN Security Council resolution 1559, demanding the dismantling of Hezbollah and its replacement in southern Lebanon by the Lebanese army, was never implemented? Where was Zogby when Hezbollah cynically placed its missiles in civilian areas, even in civilian homes, deliberately forcing Israel into a cruel dilemma: defend its people and risk Lebanese civilian casualties or avoid such casualties and letting the Hezbollah rockets fall on Haifa, Tiberias and other Israeli cities. Israel, as the moral, democratic society that it is, tries mightily both to protect its people and minimize Lebanese casualties despite Hezbolah’s manipulation. Tragically, that didn’t succeed in Qana for which Israel is profoundly sorry.

In the end, though Zogby won’t admit it, the Arab world needs an Israeli victory over Hezbollah and Iran as much as Israel and the US. Maybe then, Lebanon can truly become one nation and be rebuilt and the region can begin to change for the better.