The Unraveling crisis in the Arab-Israeli zone

This is an excerpt from Zeev Schiff's article in Haaretz. Schiff is the respected military correspondent, who enjoys sounding like a moderate in international meetings but is a hardliner at heart. His analysis reflects an aggressive, pugilant attitude in Israel, where the capture of two more soldiers apparently prompts many Israelis to support aggressive attacks in Lebanon to demonstrate its power. Inaction, Schiff argues, would cause Israel's "strategic and military standing in the region [to] change and its deterrence of guerrilla warfare and high-trajectory weapons will be undermined." The U.S. Secretary of State has called for restraint, particularly in terms of avoiding attacks on civilian infrastructure, but there is no reason to expect such wane pleas to be respected by either the Israelis or their enemies.


Print: "Israel's options now are aggression on two fronts. Israeli would best act cautiously in order not to open a third front with Syria, unless Damascus taunts Israel.

Clearly Israel will strike Lebanese infrastructure related to Hezbollah and may expand its targets in its wrath. For years, Israel neglected the rocket system Hezbollah built in Lebanon with Iranian and Syrian help. It took no preventative measures against the convoys and storehouses of weaponry. We thought they would rust and now they are directed at Israel. There is also an absurd situation where we ignored Hezbollah positions adjacent to the border and to our Galilee communities. Some of those positions were once IDF outposts.

Israel must not allow Hezbollah to return to border positions. This is a clearcut defensive tactic and, in any case, Hezbollah is taking the offensive against Israel. Israel's operation in Gaza is not enough. The Gaza front will become secondary if the fighting in the north expands. If Israel wants even partial international support, it must avoid causing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. After Wednesday's events on the northern border, international efforts to mediate on the matter of the abductees and the prisoners will increase and address additional issues. In which case, Israel will have little time for a broad military operation."