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So says this week’s The Economist cover story. A quote from the opening paragraph:
Israel’s prime minister set himself an absurd aim�the complete demolition of Hizbullah’s power in Lebanon�and failed to achieve it. The shrewder Mr Nasrallah said victory would consist merely of surviving, and Hizbullah, however battered, did survive.
They want to be martyrs? We should give them what they want. The paper, once again, proves why it is far more balanced and insightful than most news sources out there:
But peace does not depend only on Israel. Six years ago Israel withdrew from Lebanon to a border painstakingly demarcated by the UN. Hizbullah fought on anyway. Like Iran, it says its aim is Israel’s destruction. Though an authentic political movement with a domestic agenda in Lebanon, it is also blatantly anti-Semitic. Mr Nasrallah once reflected that collecting the Jews in Palestine made them easier to wipe out.
Lets keep that in mind, shall we? I have noted my remarkable change in perspective on this issue and it is multifaceted. I used to think we in the west are getting what we deserve for our policies of the past, and this might still be partially true. Now, however, I am starting to get very worried about the survival of the enlightenment and how it has started to effect my life, my friends, my country, and my planet. There is an interesting and related article in Tikkun this month. When it is on line I will write more about it.