But: Instead of disarming hezbollah, Lebanese politicians decided to integrate hezbollah in the leadership of the country. Of course everybody feared a new civil war if there had been serious attempts to disarm hezbollah. But it’s not wise to avoid a civil war by letting a terrorist organization operating freely, be letting hezbollah attacking a neighbour country during the 6 years since Israel withdrew. It was pretty clear that avoiding a civil war at the cost of the civilians of the neighbour state would not work forever.

I am asking myself how and who could’ve helped the Lebanon to deal with Hezbollah in a better way. Did the UN fail? I think so. What should have been the role of the Europeans, or of the US, or other moderate arab countries? The current crisis could have been avoided, I am sure, with more help, maybe more pressure from abroad. UN resolutions are just meaningless pieces of paper.

I can understand that you are talking about humanity. But there are reasons behind the fierce reaction of Israel, wich lie in the former withdrawals from the Lebanon as well as from Gaza, and the announced withdrawal from the west bank. Deterrent has become more important now. The message is clear: Don’t even think about violating the borders of 1967, the reaction will be very painful for you.
And I can understand that, there are too many extremists in the region who are keen on wiping Israel off the map, no matter how peaceful the Israelis are.

But let me say this again, it’s a pity that many Lebanese now have to suffer for the wrong decisions of their leaders.

Just a few months ago we here in Jordan were affected by their retardedness.

Personally, I think this is an issue of humanity. Yes, Hezbollah played a stupid and uncalculated move by kidnapping the soldies (resulting in a war that I believe was lost before it even began), but the Israelis are playing an evil role by ravaging an entire country to the ground- and Lebanon from all countries! They have just started standing on their knees after their civil war…

@Rami:
Children shouldn’t write any names of weapons on blackboards. Do these children read the papers, visit internet chatboards etc? I think they are too young to be well informed. Do they know why there is war? And I really do not believe the children did the blackboard painting containing the names of weapons w/o the help of adults. So for me this is pure propaganda, nothing else.

I am not desperate in seeing children writing stuff on missiles, but there are worse pictures of arab kids, e.g. with (fake?) explosive belts or children soldiers of hezbollah parading in the street. These pictures are used as propaganda by Hamas and Hizbollah, too. So arab kids drawing flags on missiles or on blackboards really is an improvement for me.

I think it’s a matter of fairness to say that I am biased. And I am biased because I am sick of the stupidity of hezbollah and the like, who are taking the whole Lebanon hostage. I am sick of their actions wich leads to destruction, death, poverty to the people they claim to support. And I am sick of pro-hezbollah-demos in western cities calling for nukes on Israel. Therefore I can’t be neutral any more.

“I’m stunned that these kids know the names of Iranian missiles”

Will knowing names of American missles make it better for you? Go read the comments of Israelis all over the blogsphere, newspapers, chat boards…etc, they speak of missle names and strategy like they speak of flowers in a garden.

At least you admit you are biased (as a sort of disclaimer, or to discredit criticisms levelled against you), but how do you still see yourself justified in passing judgements? Explain that.

And, I also think you are desperate for a Lebanese “children writting on missiles” image. I think those images were a major flop for the Israeli “hasbara” efforts, weren’t they?

I forgot that there’s school holiday in Lebanon (as well as in Israel) at the moment. However I’m stunned that these kids know the names of Iranian missiles.

@me:
Yes, propaganda, that’s all the photo is about. You would understand me better if you’ve actually read Remarque. But you haven’t, did you?