Shalom all.

Like most things in the political divide, one’s perspective concerning the purported “ceasefire” that went into effect at 10:00 a.m. on November 27, 2024, brought a series of mixed responses. Some said it was great, others said that it signaled the defeat of Hezbollah, still others said that it was a joke and a disaster. Those who praised the ceasefire said that it will push-start the stalled negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of the hostages. Others said it would cause negotiations with Hamas to be more problematic.

So, what are we talking about? For a birds-eye view of what the “ceasefire agreement” entails, see here.

Glancing at the 13 points listed in the so-called “ceasefire agreement”, the first thing that we notice is that the “agreement” is actually an “announcement” made by the United States and France of a ceasefire deal for the “Cessation of Hostilities and Related Commitments on Enhanced Security Arrangements and Toward the Implementation of UNSCR 1701”. A fancy title with a lot of nice-sounding words, but, essentially, of little practical value. I am writing as a pragmatic realist, making every effort to awaken many who laud the document as a dramatic breakthrough, signaling the beginning of the end of belligerency in the Middle East.

The announcement itself is a statement of “understanding” made by two non-combatant parties (the United States and France), regarding the commitments made by the governments of the Republic of Lebanon and the State of Israel. Are we missing something here? Where is the participation and commitment of the Hezbollah? The Republic of Lebanon is not one of the parties that is involved in the fighting. But, it is making commitments that are intended to curtail the activities of Hezbollah, which is the terrorist organization that renewed its belligerency against Israel on October 8, 2023.

Irrespective of how one wants to view the latest “ceasefire” deal, one cannot escape the conclusion that it is, in very large measure, a re-hashing of the prior deal that resulted in Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006 – a Resolution that was immediately broken and continues to be violated by the Hezbollah.

Point 2 of the “understandings” says that starting at 04:00 in the morning of November 27, 2024, the Government of Lebanon would act to “prevent Hezbollah and all other armed groups in the territory of Lebanon from carrying out any operations against Israel, and Israel will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military, or other state targets, in the territory of Lebanon by land, air, or sea.” 

The Lebanese army already has a large number of Hezbollah in its ranks. To expect that Lebanese army would actively engage the Hezbollah militarily to prevent it from acting against Israel is like living on Fantasy Island. For the last 18 years, Hezbollah has effectively been in control of Lebanon from a number of perspectives – it functions as a terrorist organization with a sovereign state behind it. And now, because of the pressure exerted by the U.S. and France, Israel has acquiesced and committed itself not to pursue “offensive military operations against Lebanese targets”. For a prior TWTW discussion of UN Resolution 1701, see here.

Point 9 of the “understandings” obligates Israel and Lebanon to act “in co-ordination with UNIFIL, to reformulate and enhance the tripartite mechanism (hereinafter: ‘the Mechanism’) … hosted by UNIFIL, chaired by the US, and including France, [to] monitor, verify, and assist in ensuring enforcement of these commitments.” This provision brings the U.S. and France on board to get involved in helping to ensure enforcement of the commitments. However, these are future undertakings that should have been “in place” prior to the announcement of the ceasefire and the failure to work them out for immediate implementation is a serious omission on the part of the negotiating parties. 

Point 10 of the “understandings’ calls upon Israel and Lebanon to report alleged violations to the Mechanism and UNIFIL, and allows them also “to communicate directly with the UN Security Council.” In the meantime, the “Mechanism” will do its homework in an effort to help facilitate that the commitments will be enforced. This provision is almost ludicrous. To expect that Israel would turn to the U.N. to complain about a violation of round two of efforts to enforce Security Council Resolution 1701 is a pipe dream. Any observer of decisions reached by the U.N. in recent years can almost conclude that the U.N. exists so that it can condemn Israel.

Point 12 of the “undertakings” is probably one of the more serious provisions of the document. It requires Israel to gradually withdraw its forces to a point south of the Blue Line within 60 days from the start of the ceasefire. 

There is also a “Side Letter” of the U.S., the contents of which are not specifically stated in the above Times of Israel article. Nevertheless, the contents are said to affirm Israel’s right to defend itself against renewed threats [from Hezbollah]. Other provisions: The US will provide Israel with intelligence information about violations of the terms of the ceasefire deal, and specifically, of any indication that Hezbollah is attempting to infiltrate the ranks of the Lebanese Army [whose ranks have already been infiltrated]. Israel may be restricted from responding to Hezbollah violations  of the ceasefire beyond southern Lebanon, but would be able to act if the Lebanese Army is unable or unwilling to deal with the violations and only after it notifies the United States, “wherever possible”. And finally, the “Side Letter’ would allow Israel to conduct reconnaissance flights over Lebanon, for purposes of gathering intelligence, provided that Israeli jets do not break the sound barrier. A slow-moving jet is an easy target for ground-to-air defense systems. It is difficult to grasp why Israel would agree to such a provision.

Much can be said about the contents of the “Side Letter”, which can be left for a later date. Nevertheless, even a cursory review of its provisions reveals that Israel is being restricted on paper. Before it can effectively act, it needs to report, to notify and to wait and see whether the Lebanese army would be willing and able to deal with Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire. Another seemingly ridiculous limitation.

There is no doubt that during the last two and a half months Israel dealt a heavy blow to Hezbollah. A ceasefire that prevents the loss of life and injury to body and soul is always a goal to strive for. But, we’ve been in this show before and the last thing we need right now is a repeat of the mistakes that we made back in 2006. Hezbollah is the largest and strongest of Iran’s proxies in the region and the serious damage to this terrorist organization will undoubtedly have an impact upon the regime of the Persian Puppeteer. That impact, however, remains to be seen.

So why did Israel agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon, when, despite the losses of life and limb on the part of the IDF, we were dismantling the terrorist organization, eliminated its leadership cadre, destroyed much of its tunnel infrastructure, as well as a large percentage of its missiles, and captured thousands of Hezbollah weapons of all kinds?

According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there were three reasons to pursue a ceasefire, namely: (1) focus on the Iranian threat; (2) replenish our supply of arms, which have been depleted and give the IDF a much-needed rest; and (3) disconnect the Hezbollah from its support of Hamas, leaving the Gaza terrorist organization isolated.

It all sounds good, reasonable and practical. But, what about the fourth, unspecified reason for the ceasefire – the pressure placed upon Israel by the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration to get done with the wars and bring the hostages home before the end of the present American administration and the beginning of the next one. Biden needs to achieve something positive and Trump doesn’t want to begin with something negative.

This last “reason” is not what you will read about in the multitude of tabloids and media that have applauded the ceasefire during the last week. But, when a special U.S. envoy comes to town and within a short period of time a “ceasefire deal” is announced, we need to open our eyes to see behind the scenes the realities that all of the actors want to publicly deny. 

More than once the U.S. has indicated that it would withhold military supplies if Israel does not toe the line and behave like an obedient child. But, it is not just military supplies. It is the power to stave off resolutions against Israel by the U.N. Security Council, where the U.S. has a veto, which it has exercised many times in the past for Israel’s benefit. That is the real point of persuasion.

And what about the incoming President? Mr. Trump has made it clear that he wants Netanyahu to end the war and bring the hostages home before he takes office on January 20, 2025. If Netanyahu could have done both over the last year, he would have. But, unilateral withdrawal of forces from Gaza does not guarantee the return of all of the hostages, alive or dead. Still, one of the last things that Israel needs is a Security Council Resolution directing the cessation of military action by Israel in Lebanon. Another “last thing” is to disappoint an incoming President of the United States, particularly one that has been a genuine friend of Israel in the past and who, it is hoped, will continue to be a true friend in the future. Are these realistic and pragmatic reasons to commit to a ceasefire? Of course they are. Is it probable that such reasons would not be admitted by the politicians on both sides of the Atlantic? Definitely. So we are left with speculation about the real reasons for entering into a ceasefire in Lebanon at this point.

By the way, the ceasefire was violated almost immediately by the Hezbollah. Israel responded and Hezbollah launched two mortars into Israeli territory earlier this evening. Israel, of course, responded to militarily to the launchings with strikes in southern Lebanon. In the meantime, Trump threatened that “there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity” if the hostages aren’t released by the date that he assumes office as President.

But, back to the “ceasefire agreement” – It leaves Hezbollah in power. There is emphasis on a “buffer zone”, as was originally called for in Security Council Resolution 1701. The residents of the Israel’s northern towns will not be able to return without fear of additional attacks from the Hezbollah neighbors. According to an article by Jonathan Spyer in Middle East Forum, “[Residents] of Israel’s north are indeed set once again to have Hezbollah as their neighbours, though the organisation will be a weakened, chastened version of its former self – at least for a while. This in turn means that a further round of fighting, sooner or later, is a near inevitability. Hezbollah are the owners of Lebanon. Iran is the owner of Hezbollah. The final uprooting of this organisation is unlikely to take place without this salient reality being taken into account.”

One major problem with the “ceasefire” in Lebanon, which, as noted, has already been broken, is that Hezbollah not only survived, but  remains the power behind all national decisions in Lebanon. This is tantamount to continuing the status quo that existed prior to Israel’s actions against the terrorist organization on its home territory during the last two and a half months. The “ceasefire agreement” contains no demand by Israel to dismantle Hezbollah, either as an organization, a military force or a political power.

The by-product of the “ceasefire agreement” in Lebanon is that the negotiations for a potential ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza have been made considerably more difficult. The terms of the Lebanese ceasefire will most likely be treated as a precedent for any deal with Hamas and whatever was “agreed to” up to this point will most likely be reconsidered in light of the “understandings” that also relate to Hezbollah. For Hamas, who ran Gaza with an iron fist, settling for anything less than what Hezbollah achieved would be considered as a “loss of face”, reducing both the image and status of Hamas, as well as being considered weaker than Hezbollah throughout the greater Muslim world. Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, return of displaced Lebanese citizens to their homes, promises of financial assistance that will enable them to rebuild homes and infrastructures … and tunnels, as well as international supervision of southern Lebanon is deal number one. There is added pressure on the government to conclude deal number two in Gaza. But, there is also considerable opposition to the deal that was made and the one that is on the negotiating table.

So, was the ceasefire deal good or not? Time will tell.

And while we wait, remember:

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: The LORD gives grace and glory: No good thing does He withhold from those that walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)

So, bless, be blessed and be a blessing. 

Marvin

Shalom all,

The dictionary defines “normal” as usual, customary and expected, along with other terms. Can threats from a neighbor, who wants you to completely leave the neighborhood where you both live, and who carries through with his threats by sending deadly missiles, rockets and armed drones in your direction on a daily basis, be considered “normal”? If we treat this type of belligence as “normal” and fail to do anything about it, then, for us, this “new normal” would definitely be “abnormal”.

This is, to our great regret, becoming our daily reality. This past weekend, Israel celebrated Yom HaKippurim (the “Day of Atonements”), Judaism’s holiest day of the year. And yet, the sounds of silence were broken by the ear-piercing, air-raid sirens and metal rain from 320 Hezbollah rockets that were fired into Israel, the vast majority of which were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome Aerial Defense System. 

Last night, a missile and rocket barrage passed over the skies of Haifa. It included an armed drone that managed to sneak into Israeli air space and landed about 20 miles south of us, taking the lives of four young men, all 19 years of age, and caused varying degrees of injuries to a total of some 67 people, seven of whom are seriously wounded. Is this normal? Is it OK to want to attempt to remove Israel by force? If these deadly projectiles were sent into your property every day for more than a year, wouldn’t you act to put an end to it and retaliate, as necessary? Of course you would. So would everyone in his right mind. If your friends and other neighbors tell you to slow down, back off, don’t fight back, wouldn’t you ignore them, particularly if you were the only one being told to “stand down”? Of course you would.

So, when Israel is attacked simply for existing, and exhibits incredible patience, trying to tell our neighbors to cease and desist from their belligerency towards us, why are we told to do what no other civilized nation would do when attacked, namely, “OK, fight back, but not too hard”? It is simply because we ARE Israel, the nation-state of the Jewish people. This tiny stretch of desert sand is where we first settled as a nation. And despite the millenia of dispersion, God has brought us back to our ancient land. We have prospered and established ourselves as a nation that turned the desert green, developed industry, produce, high-tech systems and innovations that have benefitted not just the State of Israel, but the entire world. We help under-developed countries establish clean water systems. We send agricultural experts to countries suffering from famine and instruct them how to plant and reap and develop agro-cultures to feed their people. We export oue scientific discoveries and technologies that have benefitted vast multitudes, including our enemies. And yet, our desire to live in peace is spurned by most of our neighbors, who act out their threats to destroy us a people that the name of Israel would be no more (Psalm 83:4). 

And some here have yielded to the threats. Many have seen the death and destruction carried out against our people by our enemies, and decided to pick up and leave for greener pastures, where deafening air-raid sirens and deadly missiles, rockets and armed drones are things made up by Hollywood, but which are far from the normalcy of their new locations. At one time, leaving the country, or doing “yirida” (going down or emigrating) as opposed to making “aliya” (or, going up or immigrating), was frowned upon by most Israelis. But, times have changed and leaving the country for an extended period of time, and even for good, is considered as “relocation”. However, when the numbers of those leaving exceed those coming in, it will obviously have an impact upon Israeli society as a whole.

War is part of life in Israel. Not a wanted part, but a “no choice” part. Extending our hands in peace has been ignored or slapped away by most of our neighbors. Our ideologies are different. Our perspectives are different. Our ways of worship and the God whom we worship, are different. And it is those differences that our unfriendly neighbors view as being unacceptable. God raised up Israel in the midst of a neighborhood that is a sea of Islam. We ARE different. We have a lust for life, which contrasts sharply with the exaltation of death and of those who are willing to martyr themselves to remove us from the neighborhood.

When an air-raid siren blares, Israelis look for secure shelters. When a deadly projectile manages to get through and lands on or near a building, the damage is usually considerable. If people are near, or in, the building, the loss becomes enormous and a price cannot be placed on it. The lives of the young people killed last night were snuffed out by an exploding drone before they had a real chance to live it. They were IDF recruits. There seems to be a never-ending supply of projectiles in the possession of Hezbollah, who have fired over 14,000 missiles and rockets into Israel during the past year. That number boggles the mind. Is it any wonder that Israel finally said, “Enough!” There is still a lot of work to be done to disarm Hezbollah and eliminate its ability to continue to attack Israel. The IDF says that only about one-third of Hezbollah’s missiles still remain. That still leaves them with some 80,000-plus projectiles pointing towards Israel, according to an assessment of the Israeli Alma Research and Education Center, who estimated that only five months ago, Hezbollah then had 250,000 projectiles, including “several thousand precision ones.”

During my time abroad this past August, I was continually asked “How long will the present war last?” It was an all-encompassing question that no individual could properly answer. In various meetings, I pointed out that Israel is fighting on seven fronts. That was before the latest IDF press commenced against the leaders of the Hezbollah and its ground operations in Lebanon. 

We continue to fight against Hezbollah, this time inside Lebanon. We’re on the offensive and that does not find much favor with a lot of people, who continue to tell us not to go further, not to attack the enemy who wants to kill us and who makes no secret of it. The IDF continues to find terror tunnels in southern Lebanon leading to the border with Israel. It also found an extensive 800-meter-long tunnel that served as a command and control center for Hezbollah’s Radwan Forces, who were planning a massive October 7th-style invasion into the northern communities in Israel.

Israel’s responses in Lebanon were not anticipated by the Hezbollah, who boldly threatens that if Israel continues to strike Lebanon, the terrorist group would  intensify its attacks against Haifa, who would be targeted like the northern Israeli cities of Kiryat Shmona and Metula.

So, should we listen to fair-weather friends, who align themselves with the all-weather enemies of Israel and tell us to back off, to slow down, not to hit hard and knock our enemy out? Such a policy shows their ignorance of how countries in this area of the world relate to each other. Backing down is a sign of weakness and even worse, of cowardice.

With the benefit of both hindsight and experience, we can glean words of wisdom and guidance from the only woman Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir. Speaking during a closed Cabinet meeting that took place one month after the Yom Kippur War in 1973, she spoke to a group that included the then Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and several senior generals, and made the following statements:

“Many things will be forgiven, but one thing will not—weakness. The moment we are marked as weak—it is over.” She then related to how she was told by individuals from the United Nations that the Arab countries were exploiting Israel’s concerns for those of her sons who were taken captive, who were “like the apple of your eye.” She clarified that the response of the Arab states to the return of their prisoners was different from that of Israel: “So what, should we stop caring about people? But here we are definitely not equals, and I hope—I will accept that they will rise to our level, but God forbid we fall to theirs. This means that for them, when it is necessary [to make an effort to free prisoners of war], not for humanitarian reasons but for political reasons, they call it ‘face-saving’.”

The 1973 Yom Kippur War exacted a tremendous toll upon the country and upon the daily life of its citizens. Multitudes of families and livelihoods were affected. Despite efforts of our citizens to return to a normal life while thousands of reservists were still at the front lines, Golda reminded them that a time frame could not be given when the soldiers would be able to return to their normal lives in family, employment and education. “I don’t think we can come to the soldiers and tell them ‘One month, two months, six months, a year’…There is no alternative. I know what it means for the large number of people now on the front. And life in the country cannot go on. … But we can’t have both war, and regular life and endurance. Somehow, all of this must come together…The people need to know, and it’s the government’s role to tell the people clearly. We need to see ourselves as mobilized for a time, I don’t know how long. But this is not a matter of days.”  (my emphasis)

The more things change, the more they remain the same. 

May God comfort the families of those who were killed during our on-going fight for existence. May His hand of healing be upon those who were wounded. May His grace be extended to the hostages who remain alive and bring about their release without Israel displaying weakness before her enemies. May we become a people united in purpose and accomplishment. 

As the roar of jet fighters pass over our neighborhood, may they go out and return in peace, after they accomplish their goals.

“When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.” (Golda Meir, A Land of Our Own: An Oral Autobiography)

“There’ll be a time I hear tell when all will be well, when God and man will be reconciled.  But until men lose their chains and righteousness reigns, Lord, protect my child.” (Lord Protect My Child”, from the Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3″, recorded by Bob Dylan, Special Rider Music [1983])

Until that time, may our “normal” be to bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

‘Twas a time to remember, of sounds and of lights,

With sirens and booms that kicked off the night.

We gathered in a sealed room, and when an hour had passed,

We were allowed to go out and finished our dinner, at last. (MSK)

My wife and I decided to visit our daughter in Jerusalem and to spend Rosh Hashana (the Feast of Trumpets – Leviticus 23:23-25) with her. The normal 2-hour drive from Haifa to Jerusalem ended up taking 5 hours, as we were stuck in a major traffic jam that resulted from the downing of a Hezbollah missile that landed on the side of the highway. Interestingly enough, my brother-in-law was travelling north along the same highway and got stuck in a traffic jam going in the other direction, but for the same reason.  We arrived in Jerusalem shortly before the air-raid sirens were set off, signaling that missiles were on their way from Iran, which were blown up air by the Iron Dome air-defense system. Amazingly, there were no injuries from the exploding missile, except for one Arab, who was killed instantly when the main body of an exploded ballistic missile fell on him. (See attached video.) 

Sirens and missiles have become the new daily reality. Today rounds out a full year since the brutality and horrors of October 7th. Heart-wrenching stories of the events of that day have filled the tabloids, at least in Israel, with the countdown to a year having begun in earnest about a month ago. The day following the onslaught of the Hamas terrorist organization, that was joined by the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad, and so-called unafilliated Gazan riff-raff, their cousins in the Hezbollah joined “in sympathy” with Hamas. Missiles began to be launched against Israel from Lebanon, minimal at first, then slowly, but steadily escalating to the point of massive missile barrages, that totaled over 8,000 during the course of the year. What country in the world would permit that for a day or even a week? Tens of thousands of Israelis had to leave their residences in the north because of the never-ending assaults by the Hezbollah against Israel. And then, in one massive strike carried out by the Israeli Air Force that eliminated the leadership of the Hezbollah, in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, the face of the Middle East suddenly changed. Israel was returning to who she was in the past. The war in the north had to end. The terrorist enemy needed to be defeated. Israel needed to re-establish “deterrence”. And it knew how to accomplish its goals. Hassan Nasrallah, the general secretary of the Hezbollah, was killed when Israel unloaded over 80 tons of bombs on the buildings that were on top of his underground bunker. Israel then proceeded to eliminate Nasrallah’s would-be heir, his cousin, Hashem Seffiadin. Israel followed up with a ground offensive, openly sending soldiers into Lebanon for the first time since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

The critics of Israel’s actions in Lebanon continue to blindly push for a diplomatic resolution to the war with Hezbollah. In a brilliant article by Lani Kass, entitled “Live by the Sword, Die by the Sword”, which was originally published by Real Clear Wire and re-published in The Gateway Pundit, she makes the obvious explicit, pointing out how the U.S. has failed to understand what has been staring them in the face for decades. Kass stated, in part: 

“The celebrations that erupted across Lebanon, Syria, and Iran in the wake of Nasrallah’s demise demonstrate how misguided the U.S. approach is. Key facts— providing context and clarification—are blithely ignored…The U.S. should rejoice that Israel is avenging them [for Hezbollah’s terrorist activities against the U.S. – my clarification]—something we’ve failed to do, the bounties on Hezbollah leaders notwithstanding…In 2006, Israel went to war to end the then-ongoing Hezbollah barrages. The U.S. and UN orchestrated the ceasefire, urging UNIFIL to enforce it. Current calls for a ceasefire are THE definition of insanity: Doing the same thing repeatedly, naively expecting different results. (emphasis mine)

“Israel is now conducting a multi-phase campaign. Phase 1 destroyed Hezbollah’s command, control, and communications. Phase 2—the air campaign—is ongoing. Both are classic décapitation strikes—akin to the 1967 Six Day War and U.S. Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. If there is a Phase 3—a ground campaign—it will push Hezbollah north of the Litani, per the 2006 UNSCR.”

Notwithstanding the West’s failure to understand the nature of the conflicts in the Middle East, President Joe Biden continues to say that Israel’s response in Lebanon should be proportionate. Apparently, he never watched “The West Wing”, where the President (in the T.V. series) called for a disproportionate response.

Israel was well-aware of Hezbollah’s intentions to carry out an October 7th-style invasion in the north of Israel. Well-equipped, terror tunnels were discovered under Lebanese communities that are close to the border with Israel. Elite units of the IDF were able to enter into Lebanon, discover and destroy most of those tunnels.            

Air strikes, no matter how powerful, cannot completely end terrorist activity. The job must be done on the ground. So, Israel began its ground offensive this past week, quickly engaging and eliminating hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists. But, these early victories have come at a price, with a dozen members of the IDF being killed during the first 5 days of fighting. 

While Israel is fighting multiple fronts, some so-called democratic countries are upset that is taking the initiative and fighting back against terrorism and even call for an arms embargo on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, took a strong stance against such a move, stating: “Today, Israel is defending itself on seven fronts against the enemies of civilization…As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side…Yet President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel…Shame on them…[The] axis of terror stands together…But countries who supposedly oppose this terror axis call for an arms embargo on Israel…What a disgrace!” He added that Israel will win against the terror axis “with or without their support…But their shame will continue long after the war is won…Rest assured, Israel will fight until the battle is won – for our sake and for the sake of peace and security in the world.”

The seven fronts that were mentioned by Netanyahu are: Gaza, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”), Yemen, Syria, Iraq and, of course, Iran.

With the passage of a year from Hamas’ invasion of communities in southern Israel, an invasion which resulted in the slaughter of 1,200 people and the taking of 251 captives, some 40% of whom are still being held hostage, the big question of the day is: How will Israel respond to the missile attack last week by Iran? Despite the fighting that is taking place on the six other fronts, it is clearly understood that Iran is the one pulling the puppet strings of its proxies. The attack of several hundred ballistic missiles launched against Israel last week cannot pass without a response and Israel has indicated that its response will be severe.

The Jerusalem Post lists various targets: surface-to-surface missile sites; drone launch bases; air defense sites; and economic infrastructure, such as oil facilities. But, an attack on oil facilities could affect the interests of other countries, such as Russia and China, as well as others who are not supportive of Israel. However, an attack on Iran’s nuclear  project is actually the most sensible. Notwithstanding that its nuclear facilities are well protected, Israel has the capability of attacking those sites by stealth fighter jets (F-35s) along with others, as well as a long-range missile strike that would minimize risk to Israeli planes and pilots. Such an attack would have to be massive and do more than just knock out key areas in Iran. It would need to cripple Iran’s military capability to prevent it from effectuating a broad-range response. Destroying Iran’s nuclear program would accomplish a number of important objectives for Israel. First and foremost, it would eliminate, at least for a long time, the most serious threat to Israel. Destruction of both the nuclear facilities as well as Iran’s ability to seriously respond would be a “loss of face” that will have a widespread impact on Iran’s proxies, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, as well as restore Israel’s deterrence position vis-a-vis Syria, Iraq and the “West Bank”.

The country is anticipating Israel’s response. It could be tonight, possibly tomorrow. A year has passed since October 7th. A year of continuing national trauma, of individual trauma, of the pain and anguish over the loss of loved ones, of deferred hope of seeing hostages returned alive, of life-changing wounds from bone-crushing bullets, of memories that haunt survivors of carnage and war, of car rammings and concerns of fifth-column uprisings, of demonstrations calling on the government to act to return the hostages, when Hamas is unwilling to let them go. 

All this, in the interim period of soul searching between Rosh Hashana (the Feast of Trumpets / Jewish New Year) and Yom Hakipurrim (the Day of Atonement) – the ten days of repentance, prayer and acts of charity. We look forward to a new year, one where Israel will call out to God and our enemies will fear the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever. (Psalm 121)

We need to keep our perspective right and our fixed on Him, Who is invisible. Don’t let what you don’t know take away from what you do know.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing. If you fast on the Day of Atonement, may it be an easy one.

Marvin

p.s.: Just as I was getting ready to send this out, this was another missile attack on Haifa. According to early reports, missiles landed in four places. Some direct hits, one approximately 1.5 kilometers from us. There is property damage, but no immediate reports of wounded.

Shalom all,

During this past week, the skies over northern Israel have been filled with hundreds of missiles, rockets and armed drones, which were launched against us primarily from Lebanon by the terrorist organization Hezbollah. In a few instances, long-range missiles, including ballistic missiles, were fired against locations in Israel by the Houthis, the Iranian-backed terrorist proxy in Yemen, towards targets in the center and south of the country. Israel’s air defense system succeeded to down the vast majority of the projectiles, but a few made it through, causing mostly property damage.

In addition to the cities and communities in the north, who experienced seemingly unending air-raid sirens throughout the days and nights, the City of Haifa, where we live, was also targeted by Hezbollah projectiles. The alarms blared, the explosion of the incoming missiles and drones by the Iron Dome sent shock waves through buildings more than a kilometer away. And the smoke from the explosion remained in the air for close to half an hour.

The events of two days ago put everyone on their heels. The Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, delivered a speech at the United Nations in New York on Friday. He responded to the lies against Israel that were delivered by leaders of other nations from the same podium where he spoke and then he addressed the situation in Gaza in the southwest and the incessant missile attacks from Lebanon, which is the home of the terrorist Hezbollah organization. Then he stated: “Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for nearly a year. Well, I’ve come here today to say enough is enough.” That was one of the clearest expressions of “Say what you mean and mean what you say!”

Before the day was over, a massive attack would take place by the Israeli Air Force against the leadership of Hezbollah, located in bunkers under residential buildings in the Dahiya suburb of Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. In his press release of Saturday, 28th September, the IDF Spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, put the finishing touches on Netanyahu’s above statement. His report does not leave room for doubt that “Enough is enough”. The text of that press release follows.

“Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the terrorist army Hezbollah, was killed by the Israel Defense Forces in a precise strike in Beirut last night, while he was in Hezbollah’s Central Headquarters commanding more imminent attacks against the people of Israel.
 
For decades, Hezbollah, under the command of Hassan Nasrallah, orchestrated countless attacks against innocent people. Hassan Nasrallah had the blood of thousands of men, women and children on his hands. Israelis. Jews across the world. Lebanese. Americans. British. French. Syrians and other countless victims across the Middle East and beyond. 
 
Hezbollah, under the command of Hassan Nasrallah, joined Hamas in attacking Israel on October 8th…just one day after Hamas‘s massacre on October 7th. 
 
For almost a year, Hezbollah, under the command of Hassan Nasrallah, has been firing thousands of rockets, suicide drones full of explosives, anti-tank missiles and ballistic missiles at Israeli towns and cities. 60,000 Israelis fled their homes in northern Israel. 
  
Hezbollah has openly declared that it has a plan to carry out its own October the 7th massacre on Israel’s northern border, but on an even larger scale. They call this plan “Conquer the Galilee.” Hezbollah has been planning to do in northern Israel what Hamas did in southern Israel on October 7th: invade Israel, infiltrate civilian communities, and massacre innocent civilians. The Israel Defense Forces has a duty to foil their plans. 
 
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of an evil terrorist organization; the senior terrorists eliminated with him, and the central headquarters they were in, were legitimate military targets under international law. Nasrallah intentionally built Hezbollah’s central headquarters under residential buildings in Dahiya, Beirut—because Hezbollah intentionally uses Lebanese civilians as human shields. While Hezbollah seeks to maximize civilian harm, Israel seeks to minimize it. 
 
Our war is not with the Lebanese people; our war is with Hezbollah. Hezbollah, under the command of Hassan Nasrallah, chose to join the war that Hamas started. 
There are consequences for that decision. 
 
Hezbollah is not just a threat to Israel; Hezbollah is not just a threat to the State of Lebanon; Hezbollah is a threat to the world, backed by the regime in Iran. 
 
As of last night, Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, will no longer be able to terrorize the world. 
 
For Nasrallah’s many victims over the decades, whether in Israel, Argentina, Bulgaria, Syria, or Lebanon itself, justice has been served. 
 
We warned the world countless times: Hezbollah is dragging the State of Lebanon and the entire region into a wider escalation. Israel does not seek a wider escalation. 
 
We seek 2 things: to bring our hostages home from almost a year in Hamas captivity, and to make sure that our borders are safe and secure for our citizens.“

As today’s excellent Editorial in The Jerusalem Post makes clear, Hassan Nasrallah was no ordinary terrorist. For the past 32 years, his ideology “painted the West as the eternal enemy of the Islamic world” and that “Under his leadership, Hezbollah engaged in a relentless campaign of terror against both Israel and Western targets worldwide. From attacks on US Marines in Beirut in the 1980s to support for Hamas’s attacks on Israeli civilians, his actions underscored a broader anti-Western agenda. Nasrallah’s strategy was clear: to undermine Western influence in the Middle East and to promote an Islamist vision in which democracy had no place.” 

Part of the caption of Lee Smith’s brilliant article in Tablet Magazine, is “Israel shows America how to win wars”. Noting that Israel’s elimination of Nasrallah in the heart of suburbs of Beirut marked “a dramatic shift in Israeli strategy“, Smith cogently points out the fallacy of the West’s misguided understanding of modern warfare and, particularly, of the West’s “global consensus that has resolved not to confront terrorists but rather to appease them”. Can Netanyahu’s “Enough is enough” statement be expressed more clearly? Smith’s article should be read by government leaders and policy makers and it should be seen as a “wake-up call” for the West, whose passivity in dealing with terrorism was grounded in a multitude of nice-sounding excuses,  but were far from revealing an understanding that “securing a nation’s peace …means killing your enemies, above all those who advocate and embody the causes that inspire others to exhaust their murderous energies against you. Thus, killing Nasrallah was essential.”  Living in the Middle East, and, particularly, in Israel, requires an awareness of our circumstances, our surroundings and an understanding of who are our neighbors and what their intentions are for themselves, for the region, and specifically, regarding Israel. Smith capsulizes the last three and a half decades of terrorist patronage in this area of the world, pointing out that Nasrallah was the protégé of Iran’s present leadership and was appointed in 1992 to lead Hezbollah. “The Iranians built around Nasrallah not only a network of proxies stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf but also a comprehensive worldview—permanent resistance.” No, Hassan Nasrallah was no ordinary terrorist. According to a statement of Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Nasrallah was not a terrorist, he was the terrorist” and his killing was an essential step towards Israel’s goals of returning tens of thousands of displaced residents from the north to their homes.

And now Nasrallah is dead. His corpse was removed today from the ruins of the residential building, under which he established his terrorist headquarters.

The Dry Bones Blog – 29 September, 2024

But, with his death, the question that naturally arises is: Who will replace him as the next terrorist czar of Hezbollah? The fingers are pointing to his cousin, Hashem Safieddine, the head of the organization’s executive council, who also oversees its political affairs. Just for a heads-up: Safieddine was designated as a terrorist by the U.S. State Department in 2017. We should not expect his policies and rhetoric to be much different, if at all, from that of Nasrallah. We’ll probably find out how close they really are before too much time passes.

The nations of the world are not silent about the assassination of Nasrallah. Some are encouraging, others discouraging. Almost everyone has an opinion about it. One news station in Israel rejoiced on the air with the news of Nasrallah’s death. An Arab news anchor in another country openly wept. Lebanon declared three days of mourning for Nasrallah. Sunni Muslims in Syria celebrated in the streets and gave out candy to drivers and passers by. But, Hamas eulogized Nasrallah, stating, in part: “History has shown that whenever leaders of the resistance… die as martyrs, they will be succeeded by a new generation of leaders who are braver, stronger, and more determined to persist in the confrontation with the Zionist enemy until it is defeated and eliminated from our land and our region.”

We are not ignoring Iran and its constant threats against Israel. Not only is Tehran angered over the elimination of their prodegy, Nasrallah, the Mullahs are also vowing revenge for the killing of one of the top Revolutionary Guards who was also killed in the IDF strike in Beirut that took out the Hezbollah terror chief.

And while we still ponder the fallout and consequences of Nasrallah’s removal, missile barrages continue to be fired in the north of Israel. As of this writing, Israel struck the Hodeidah port and power plants in Yemen, following Houthi missile attacks against the south and center of Israel. This should send a strong message to Iran that if we can reach Yemen, which is further away than Iran, we can reach Tehran. The big question is: Is anyone really listening?

Oh, one more thing. The Gaza War is still ongoing. According to a report in Ynetnews, the killing of Nasrallah has caused Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, to change his location in Gaza, as well as his security protocols. This war could end in a number of different ways, the two most obvious being: Hamas could surrender, which is highly unlikely. Or, Sinwar will be found and eliminated, which is more likely. Israel’s goal to bring about the return of the hostages is still very much a priority. We will have to see how the elimination of Nasrallah will affect the war in the south that began almost a year ago.

In another three days, Israel will celebrate the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25), commonly known as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It will also mark the beginning of a period of ten days of prayer, repentance and acts of charity, leading up to Yom HaKippurim, the Day of Atonements (plural), the holiest day of the year. May it also bring with it an end to the present wars.

In light of that, remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Shana Tova (may you have a good New Year).

Marvin

Shalom all,

Without question, the events of this past week have demonstrated Israel’s resilience, in rebounding from the failures of October 7th, and returning to be the Israel, the Mossad, and the IDF, that was able to enter the lion’s den and leave many of the lions dead, lame and wounded. 

Last week, I reported on planned proposal that the safe return of the northern residents to their homes would become an official war goal. This week that goal apparently began to take effect. Fighting a war of attrition with the Hezbollah terrorist organization had been the unstated policy of Israel for a long time. This is most certainly true from October 8, 2023, the day following the infiltration into the communities along the Gaza envelope by Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and so-called unaffiliated Gazan riff-raff, who pillaged, raped, brutalized, killed and burned alive men, women and children, and took 251 hostages into the Hamas infested tunnel infrastructures that criss-crossed throughout Gaza’s underground world. Hezbollah has consistently maintained that it is assisting the efforts of Hamas and has launched thousands upon thousands of missiles, including anti-tank missiles, mortars and armed drones into Israel terrority. This has resulted in the displacement of over 60,000 northern residents from their homes (according to official reports), deaths of 22 members of the IDF and 26 civilians, massive destruction of property, fields, agriculture and farms and effectively caused an economic disaster throughout the northern areas affected by the displacement. A full eleven months after the beginning of the war that was begun by Hamas and supported by Hezbollah and others, including the main puppeteer, Iran, Israel has had enough and proclaimed, as mentioned above, the return of the northern residents as an official goal of the undeclared, but nevertheless existing, war with Hezbollah. 

Then, interestingly, on Tuesday of this past week, pagers that were used extensively by Hezbollah operatives and carried as general equipment exploded simultaneously after they beeped, leaving about a dozen killed, most members of the Hezbollah, and thousands of others wounded, including Hezbollah commanders.

The following day, Wednesday, similar explosions took place on tactical communication devices held by Hezbollah personnel throughout Lebanon. Another approximately two dozen deaths resulted from this second explosion, along with hundreds more being injured. All told, some 37 members of the Hezbollah were killed with thousands of others being wounded.

In addition to the large number of people who were killed and injured in the pager-beeper and tactical communication devices incidents, those events constituted a HUGE humiliation for the Hezbollah. They directly affected their communication system and, therefore, the terror organization’s ability to operate. Still, Hezbollah was able to respond by intensifying its missile attacks into Israeli territory, which resulted in the deaths of two members of the IDF and about a dozen other people being wounded.

The Secretary General of the Hezbollah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, blamed Israel for the explosions of the communication devices, even though Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement. Nevertheless, in a public address, Nasrallah said, in part: “We undoubtedly suffered a major security and humanitarian blow, unprecedented in the conflict and maybe in the history of mankind…We were hit hard, but that’s the situation in war. We understand that the enemy has technological supremacy. Especially since it is supported by the US and the West… When we are in conflict, we bet on Jihad, on attrition. We had many victories until now… We will be ready to overcome all of the threats and attempts in the future…Israel crossed all the red lines by detonating thousands of pagers. This could be called a declaration of war… This is an act of terror, massacre, genocide.”

One has to stop for a moment and reflect on Nasrallah’s statement that Israel’s attack was a “declaration of war, an act terror, massacre, genocide”. For the past eleven months, Hezbollah bombarded Israel with multitudes of deadly projectiles, slowly increasing the number until it began to average over a hundred missiles per day. It is acting in solidarity with another terrorist organization, Hamas, that began a war against Israel on October 7th, perpertrating egregious acts of terrorism, massacring 1,200 people under an ideology that seeks to carry out the elimination of Israel, an act commonly referred to as genocide. Hezbollah was prepared to launch thousands of missiles against Israel all at one time, but its plans were frustrated due to the pre-emptive attack by the Israeli Air Force that destroyed thousands of missile launchers only a few short weeks ago. It was also planning to carry out an October 7th-style invasion of Israel from the north and still has the temerity to say that Israel’s action amounted to a declaration of war! A clear example of the pot calling the kettle “black”.

Then there was the third event, Israel’s action against the Lebanese terrorist organization that took place in the Hezbollah’s back yard, in the heart of Beirut. The bold air strike by the Israeli Air Force killed at least 2 senior commanders and another dozen members of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, including Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah’s military operations, acting commander of the elite Radwan Force, who also headed up a plan to attack the northern territory of Israel, which plan was labeled: “The Plan to Conquer the Galilee”.  Also killed in the Israeli strike was Ahmed Wahbi, a former commander of the Radwan Force and the head of Hezbollah’s training unit. The meeting of the senior commanders of the Radwan Force met under a residential building, using civilians as human shields, while coordinating terrorist activities against Israeli civilians. Prior to the A.I.F. strike on the building, the Hezbollah had already launched some 200 missiles into Israel

A point worth noting is that Aqil was on the “most wanted” of the United States for his involvement in the 1983 bombings of the American Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, which killed 63 people, and the US Marines barracks in Beirut that killed 241 people. A bounty of $7 million was placed on Aqil’s head by the United States. I wonder if Israel will make a claim for the bounty.

In the meantime, various media reported that some 500 Hezbollah members lost their eyesight following the explosions of the communication devices. We need to keep in mind that everything relating to Israel needs to be considered from a spiritual perspective. So, it is not surprising that the promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3) remains in effect today. Hezbollah has attacked “the apple of God’s eye” (Zechariah 2:8) and it should not appear to us as strange that its members would be blinded.

The newspaper The Australian notes, in brief: “Hezbollah’s and Hamas’s masters in Iran should be clear-eyed about the meaning of what appears to have been the latest display of modern technological warfare by a nation fighting for its survival.” 

Amjad Taha, United Arab Emirates expert in Strategic Political Affairs (Middle East), and blogger, posted the following, clear statement on September 18th: 

“You dared to strike at a smart and courageous nation on October 7th—committing genocide, kidnapping their children, and violating their women. You thought they would fall, but they rose again, returning after 11 months to correct what had only momentarily slipped—their intelligence. Now, they will send you back 1,000 years, to a time without technology, where a ringtone feels like a death knell and a beep is a nightmare. You will be haunted by your own shadow, too afraid to use any technology, cut off from the advanced world. And they will defeat you—not with bullets or tanks, but through the unbreakable will of brave, intelligent people. Over a simple cup of coffee, with one decisive click, they will seal your fate, and the fate of anyone who dares harm their children. This is a nation the world respects. Lebanon—#Hezbollah‘s pager attacks and today’s V82 strike are not merely military victories; they represent a triumph for the Middle East over radicalism—a victory not only for #Israel but for all who stand against terror.”

Should we have anything to say about the post on X of Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter, who described the of pager explosions as a “terror attack [that requires an] international investigation” and that “silence is not an option” regarding the matter? Her comments drew widespread condemnation across social media, one of which was from National Security and Foreign Policy researcher Khaled Hassan: “NOT A SINGLE TWEET condemning Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis, and NOW THIS???!!!! With people like you in power in Europe, we don’t even need enemies. Might as well invite Hamas to Europe and beg them to rape and murder all of us.” Need more be said?

So much for striking at the heart of a terrorist organization. But, what is the possibility that the Hezbollah will retaliate in some manner? And if so, how? It could, of course, wait for American mediation efforts to succeed where all prior efforts for the last 11 months have failed. Or, it can continue to launch missiles as a declarative effort to say that it is continuing its war of attrition against Israel that will force Israel’s hand to undertake a ground offensive into Lebanon. Or, it can launch, alone or together with Iran or one or more of the other Iranian proxies, an all-out offensive against Israel. Or even worse: Hezbollah might decide to carry out its threat to attack Haifa and, possibly, points further to the south of us. It hardly needs be mentioned that Hezbollah will not voluntarily agree to move north of the Litani River, giving effect to Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006. As of this writing, the IDF is attacking multitudes of missile launchers in Lebanon. The IDF Spokesman just added Haifa as an area in the “line of fire” of Hezbollah rockets.

It will take a little while for Hezbollah to re-organize. However, until then, we can continue to expect missile barrages of dozens, if not hundreds, of missiles on an ongoing basis, until the situation completely explodes. Israeli war planes have been flying overhead for the past 2 hours heading towards Lebanon. The ensuing news is not expected to be good.

And how should we respond to the explosions of the pagers and electronic devices? What do you say? There is no lack of responses, some rejoicing, others being a bit more reserved.

There are, of course, the related consequences of cyber warfare that can affect various aspects of life, including, for example, airline travel, where increased security efforts can affect the use of in-flight electrone devices. 

I did not enter into speculation how the pagers and electronic devices were able to be exploded, nor did I deal with the timing of the explosions. Most of the “chatter” are various forms of speculation, some more reasoned than others, but still falling into the realm of “maybe this or maybe that”. At some point, everything will become more clear. For now, we should be thankful that many that have planned the destruction of Israel have been eliminated.

There is a new hostage proposal on the table, offered by Israel: all hostages to return at the same time; Israel will cease military activities in Gaza; Yehya Sinwar (the head of Hamas who organized the massacre of October 7th) will be given a free pass out of Gaza. The decision is now up to Hamas. There are no great expectations.

I am aware that my blog posts reach a multitude of people with widely differing opinions, some of whom have strong opinions concerning the Gaza War and the looming prospects of a regional war. So be it. Israel has extended her hands in peace to her neighbors, time and time again. Some not only slap it away, but also try to cut our hands off. We look forward to the time when our swords shall be beaten into plowshare and our spears into pruning hooks – when “nation will not lift up sword against nation and never again will they learn war” (Isaiah 2:4). Until then, we continue to keep our eyes on Him, Who is invisible.

For now, please pray: For wisdom for the government to know what to do, when to do, and how to do; for the IDF for wisdom, strength, boldness, precision and that every soldier, irrespective of rank, will go out in peace and return in peace; for the hostages who are still alive, that they would be kept alive and return alive and well; for the wounded, that those rendering medical care to them will do so with skill, knowledge and compassion; for the families who lost loved ones and who are waiting for their loved ones to return, comfort and faith that the God of Israel reigns and is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond anything they can ask or think; for the citizens of Israel, that all would call out to Him.

Despite everything that happened and is happening, remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom All,
At least 12 children were killed and dozens were wounded late yesterday afternoon (Saturday) when a Hezbollah rocket struck a soccer field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams, located in the Golan Heights, a short drive from the Lebanese border. Emergency Service Director, Eli Bin, of Magen David Adom (MDA) described the area as looking like “scenes out of a battlefield.” The attack was condemned by Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, “We are in great shock from the horrific massacre in the Druze village, an atrocious and murderous terrorist attack that struck innocent children playing soccer. The sight of the children’s shattered bodies strewn across the grass is indescribable…A civilized country cannot allow the continuous harm to its citizens and residents. This has been the reality for nine months in the northern communities. Tonight, it crossed every possible red line.” The children who were killed ranged in age from 10 to 16. In a televised report, the IDF Spokesman said that the attack was the most severe attack on Israeli citizens since October 7th. The missile that landed in the soccer field was part of a massive barrage of several dozen projectiles launched by the Hezbollah. According to Foreign Minister Israel Katz, this latest attack by Hezbollah is drawing us closer to full-scale war with the Lebanon-based terrorist organization, i.e., the Third Lebanon War.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was visiting the United States when the attack occurred, expedited his planned return to Israel and landed earlier today. A security forum will decide the nature of Israel’s retaliation.

The big questions last night were: Why wasn’t the rocket downed by the Iron Dome Defense System? Why didn’t the sirens warn of an incoming projectile? According to the IDF’s initial investigation, the failure to intercept the missile was due to a combination of the low altitude of the flight path, as well as the conditions of the terrain in the area of the town. Also, apparently, sirens sounded for a full 20 seconds prior to impact, so there was no validity to the claims that there was only a few seconds’ warning prior to the explosion.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi accused Hezbollah of deliberately targeting children. “This is a Hezbollah rocket. And whoever launches such a rocket into a built-up area wants to kill civilians, wants to kill children”. Halevi added that the military is increasing its readiness for “the next stage of fighting in the north.”

No matter how we look at it, the Hezbollah intended to target civilians. It possesses missiles that can be programmed to reach specific targets. If it is argued that the missile was not directed toward the soccer field, then it is just as bad, maybe even worse, as the missile was aimed towards an area with a civilian population. It could have exploded elsewhere, causing considerably greater damage and loss of life. Either way, civilian population was the target. It should be remembered that the Hezbollah terrorist organization is “supportive” of Hamas, but its increased attacks against Israel’s northern region reveals that it has opted to become an active participant in the Gaza War, but from a different direction.

U.S. intelligence confirms the IDF’s claim that the missile was launched by the Hezbollah. There is widespread concern that this attack could be the trigger that will result in full blown war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The ball is, for the moment, in Israel’s court and we are all waiting to see how it is going to be played out. Professor Uzi Rabi, senior researcher and the head of the program for Regional Cooperation at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies Studies at Tel Aviv University, asserts that Israel needs to change its method of dealing with the Hezbollah.

“Israel needs to adopt an out-of-the-box strategy similar to used in Yemen ,,, referring to the July 20 IAF strike on the Houthi fuel port at Al-Hodeida, which came in response to a deadly Houthi suicide drone strike on Tel Aviv.” He noted that “Hezbollah presents itself as Lebanon’s protector, but a significant disruption could lead to internal dissent and international condemnation of Hezbollah’s actions.” That being the case, he suggested that Israel should target Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure to disrupt daily life, which in turn would pressure the population to turn against Hezbollah. He proposes the following: “What should guide Israel’s actions is to do what it has not yet done, for the simple reason that what it has done so far has not been effective. I do not trivialize the issue of targeted killings or what the IDF has done to Hezbollah, but we must admit that the bottom line is that it did not work…Israel must shift to another mode—I call it the Al-Hodeida mode. To do what was done in Yemen—target the civilian infrastructure in the host country”. By that, he meant that the population should experience disruption to its daily routine in every manner—electricity, water and other vital services. This, in turn, could cause the population to turn on Hezbollah.

My suggestion is slightly different. The civilian infrastructure should be aimed at preventing action by the Hezbollah – roads, air fields large and small, oil and gas depots should be targeted. This is in addition to vital services. The Hezbollah needs to become paralyzed tactically, so that it cannot move combatants and equipment. The likelihood is that it will still have the capability to launch multitudes of missiles. Israel cannot hermetically seal off Lebanon, but it could seriously weaken it and, in a certain sense, send Lebanon back to the Stone Age.

Iran, the puppeteer pulling the strings of the Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, warned Israel against “adventurism”. Iranian Foreign Minister, Nasser Kanaani, issued a statement saying: “Any ignorant action of the Zionist regime can lead to the broadening of the scope of instability, insecurity and war in the region…[adding] that any ‘adventurism’ in Lebanon could lead to ‘unforeseen consequences and reactions’.” The pot is once against calling the kettle black. What needs to be understood is that in THIS REGION, failure to forcefully respond, particularly after a barbarous attack, is seen as a sign of weakness. Hezbollah and its compatriot terrorist cronies work on the principle that “might makes right”, particularly if that “might” is exercised by it. Apparently, it has forgotten the painful lesson that it learned in the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

Media continue to condemn Israel for the number of civilian casualties in Gaza. Despite the gross inaccuracy of the figures, at least Israel was pursuing armed combatants, who use civilians as a shield. That cannot be said of the ongoing attacks of the Hezbollah. Yesterday’s brutal attack by Hezbollah that targeted civilians – children – crossed every red line of military confrontation. Israel must and will respond. At this point, from all reports, Israel is preparing for the Third Lebanon War and an all-out war with Hezbollah. Even if the Gaza War would end today, Israel will have no choice but to retaliate against Hezbollah’s attack on civilians. The terrorist response to Israel’s retaliation will determine whether we will wake up tomorrow or the day after to a devastating war.

My intention was to relate to the speech of Prime Minister Netanyahu before the U.S. Congress and its aftermath. But, more recent events took center stage.

“And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.” (Genesis 12:3) God’s promise has never been revoked. Just as He never changes, so His Word will forever remain and He stands behind His Word to perform it.

We can still bless, we can still be blessed and we can still be a blessing.

Marvin