Israel Did Nothing To Create Hezbollah -- But Arafat Did

With its recent clash with Israel, Hezbollah is again in the news. But for all of the attention Hezbollah gets, there are still elements of its history that remain ignored -- or just misrepresented.

Tony Badran, a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has written extensively about Hezbollah as well as Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Israel. Recently, Iran announced sanctions against the think tank itself.

In his article, The Secret History of Hezbollah, Badran writes that while the Hezbollah mythology claims that the group was founded in 1982, in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, as a resistance group to the Israeli invasion that year -- the truth is:

Hezbollah and the Islamic Republic of Iran have been joined at the hip from the very beginning, even before the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Has UNIFIL Forgotten What Its Mandate Is?

Last month, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti was interviewed on an i24NEWS program called The Rundown. At one point, starting at 3:33 and extending to 4:40, Tenenti described just what UNIFIL's mandate is:



So, according to Tenenti:

• UNIFIL's job is limited to monitoring
• UNIFIL has no mandate to disarm Hezbollah
• UNIFIL is not allowed to search private property

UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti. Video screengrab

At first glance, Tenenti seems to be right.

The UN Is An Equal Opportunity Employer, Hiring Both Hamas and Hezbollah Terrorists

An employer who agrees not to discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, or age
Definition of 'Equality Opportunity Employer', Merriam Webster

Nor on the basis of "politics."

In 2004, then-Commissioner-General of UNRWA Peter Hansen was interviewed on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and said that UNRWA hiring Hamas terrorists is not a big deal:

Where Was UNIFIL While Hezbollah Was Digging Its Terror Tunnel?

The IDF provides an aerial photo showing the path of the tunnel that necessitated Israel's Operation Northern Shield:

And where was UNIFIL all this time?
In the image below, the UNIFIL watchtower is indicated by the white circle, just hundreds of meters from where the tunnel ended.

Clearly, Hezbollah is not afraid of UNIFIL.
And why should they be?

Some Initial Implications of the Hezbollah Attack on Israel

Hezbollah's attack on Israel is being treated not as some cross-border spat, but rather as a regional battle. There are a few initial regional angles that are appearing via Naharnet, not known for being either pro-Israel or anti-Hezbollah:

Arlene Kushner on ICC Bending Over Backwards To Justify Investigating Israel - And the Situation With Hezbollah

From Arlene Kushner:
January 19, 2015

Without Recourse

It should be, even in our less than perfect world, that international courts were bastions of ethical judgment and impartiality. OK, maybe that’s expecting too much.  Shall we say, just institutions that model some degree of ethical judgment and impartiality. But even this is expecting too much in today’s climate of severely distorted perceptions and values.

The court I have in mind, of course, is the International Criminal Court, which is just one more corrupt – and politically correct – international body.  As today’s JPost editorial has it: the court is unable to “differentiate between good and bad.” Ah, yes.

Arlene Kushner on Sweden Recognizing A Palestinian State (If They Can Find It)

From Arlene Kushner:
October 7

Sukkot

“v'samachta bechagecha”: and you shall rejoice in your festival.  This is it, Sukkot, our season of rejoicing.  My very favorite holiday.  The spirit is in the air, here in Jerusalem.  I look forward to meals in the Sukkah (much larger than the illustration here!), and sleeping in the Sukkah with my grandchildren. 

And blessings over the lulav and etrog.

 

Sukkot starts tomorrow night, and I will post only very erratically, if at all, during the coming eight-day period.  The older I get, and the worse the world seems, the more I understand how important are these moments of joy.  To all celebrating, I wish a Chag Sameach.

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Hamas and Hezbollah: Imitation Is The Sincerest Form of Terrorism

Hamas continues to emulate their terrorist comrades in Hezbollah

• Hezbollah kidnaps Israeli soldiers--Hamas kidnaps Gilad Shalit.
• Hezbollah builds extensive underground bunkers--Hamas builds underground installations in Gaza.
• Hezbollah bombs Israel during its war--Hamas figures it can bomb Israel forever.

And now Haaretz reports that Hamas wants to employ the 'Hezbollah model' in Gaza:

Jonathan Spyer: Behind the Lines: Israel-Syria Border Escalation

The following by Jonathan Spyer is reposted here with permission of Middle East Forum:

Behind the Lines: Israel-Syria Border Escalation

by Jonathan Spyer
The Jerusalem Post
March 21, 2014

http://www.meforum.org/3800/behind-the-lines-israel-syria-border-escalation

Jonathan Spyer

This week's events on the Israel-Syrian border are testimony to the extent to which the effective disintegration of the Syrian state is producing a new security reality in the North.

Once, Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime sought to conduct its business via Israel's border with Lebanon. The Syrians would seek to place pressure on Israel by supporting paramilitary proxies in Lebanon, which would launch attacks on Israeli forces and communities.

The precise reversal of this situation now appears to be the reality.At the same time, the direct Syria-Israel line would be kept silent, out of fear of Israeli retribution.

On the assumption of Hezbollah responsibility for the attacks, which at present appears the most likely explanation, the movement is using the Syria-Israel border as a site for attacks on Israeli forces.

Daniel Pipes: Saudis Bristle at Obama's Outreach to Iran

The following by Daniel Pipes is reposted here with permission:

Saudis Bristle at Obama's Outreach to Iran

by Daniel Pipes
The Washington Times
December 3, 2013

http://www.danielpipes.org/13720/saudis-iran-obama

The "Joint Plan of Action" signed with Iran by the so-called P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S.) on Nov. 24 in Geneva caused Shiite Arabs to celebrate, Sunni Arabs to worry, and Saudis to panic. The Saudi response will have far-reaching and unpredictable consequences.

Jubilant crowds welcomed the Iranian negotiator home from Geneva.

As Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Javad Zarif, brought home a deal worth about US$23 billion to Iran,Arab Shiites fell into step with Tehran. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq expressed his "full support for this step." President Bashar al-Assad of Syria welcomed the agreement as "the best path for securing peace and stability." Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri of Lebanon called it the "deal of the century." And Hezbollah considered the agreement a "great victory for Iran."

Jonathan Spyer: Is the US Changing Sides in the Regional Conflict Between Iran and Its Enemies?

The following by Jonathan Spyer is reposted here with permission of the Middle East Forum:

Is the US Changing Sides in the Regional Conflict Between Iran and Its Enemies?

by Jonathan Spyer
The Jerusalem Post
November 30, 2013

http://www.meforum.org/3686/us-iran-switch

A report by respected Washington-based journalist Hussein Abdul Hussein in the Kuwaiti Al-Rai newspaper this week revealed details of an indirect US channel with Hezbollah.

The report comes, of course, close on the heels of the interim agreement concluded in Geneva between the P5 + 1 world powers and Iran, allowing the latter to continue to enrich uranium.

News items are also surfacing suggesting a stark split between the US and Saudi Arabia over regional policy in general, and policy toward Syria in particular. Saudi officials are going on the record expressing their alarm at the direction of American policy.

Happily stirring the pot, some Iran-associated outlets have suggested that Washington is actively seeking to rein in Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who favors a hardline against Iranian interference in the region.

Meanwhile, agreement has now been reached over the long-postponed "Geneva 2" conference, to discuss the war in Syria.

The conference will go ahead because US-backed Syrian opposition representatives abandoned their demand that President Bashar Assad could have no part in any transitional phase of government in the country.

What does all this add up to? There are an increasing number of voices which perceive a shape behind all these details: Namely, an effort by the current US administration to turn the Iranian regime from an adversary into a partner. The method: Acceding, in part or whole, to key Iranian demands.

Let's take a look at each item in more detail.

Mideast Media Sampler 8/30/13: Things Are Not Going Well For Fatah, Hamas and Hizbollah

by David Gerstman, contributing blogger at Legal Insurrection

When bad things happen to bad people

The three terrorist groups Fatah, Hamas and Hezbollah have all fallen on hard times. Though their problems differ, none of them are ascendant now (or at least not in regards to Israel). To be sure, each still presents a challenge and a threat to Israel, but all three are the weakest that they’ve been in a long time.

Mideast Media Sampler 8/20/13: Hezbollah Targeted by (Other) Terrorists -- But That Won't Stop Them In Syria

by David Gerstman, contributing blogger at Legal Insurrection

Why Hezbollah takes a shine to the shrine

It took a while but a few weeks ago the European Union designated Hezbollah’s “military wing” to be a terrorist organization. There is some speculation as to why the EU took the action, but it seems likely that Hezbollah’s support of Assad was a major factor.

Logic-chopping EU may believe Hezbollah political wing distanced from terrorism but Hezbollah itself begs to differ. http://t.co/vTncBOk7fQ
— Melanie Phillips (@MelanieLatest) July 28, 2013

Hilal Khashan: The Political Isolation of Lebanese Sunnis

The following by Hilal Khashan is reposted here with permission of Middle East Forum:

The Political Isolation of Lebanese Sunnis

by Hilal Khashan
Middle East Quarterly
Summer 2013, pp. 69-75 (view PDF)

The delicate fabric that is the Lebanon polity, only recently rewoven after decades of civil war, is once again on the verge of unraveling. Recent events—between the ascendance of Shiite groups through the February 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri to the current Syrian civil war—have caught one of the most prominent sectarian groups, the Sunnis, unprepared. How this has come about is a convoluted tale of jockeying for power between rival politicians and ethnicities.

EU's Catherine Ashton Coddles Muslim Brotherhood Extremists While Condemning Democratic Israel

The sooner the "political wing" of this organization is dismantled and the EU returns to its origin as a free trade organization, the better.
Peter Martino

In addressing the hypocrisy of the European Union, Peter Martino suggests Dismantle the EU's "Political Wing":

Just think about this a minute: the EU appeases the Egyptians, including the most radical Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood, with promises of money and everlasting friendship, while at the at the same time the EU has decided to label products from Israel, a real democracy, that are made in Judea, Samaria, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, and in the process hurting more Arabs, who are employed there, than Jews. It has begun to boycott half a million Jews living in these areas as well as countless businesses and institutions based there, including the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Mideast Media Sampler 7/23/13: Tracing How EU Finally Blacklisted Hezbollah Terrorists

by David Gerstman, contributing blogger at Legal Insurrection

Europe vs. Hezbollah
Yesterday, the European Union’s foreign minsters voted unanimously to designate Hezbollah’s “military wing” a terrorist organization. This will give European nations the authority to disrupt the organization’s finances.

The vote required unanimity and it was a long time in coming.

Mideast Media Sampler 7/11/13: Is Obama's Program For Arming Syrian Rebels Helping Hezbollah Terrorists Instead?

by David Gerstman, contributing blogger at Legal Insurrection


1) Where did Hezbollah get American arms

Last month Lee Smith attempted to clarify if the administration had sent army to the Syrian rebels as it said it would, or not. All he (or anyone) got was studied ambiguity:

In fact, it’s still not clear what the White House is doing. In a June 13 conference call with reporters ostensibly rolling out the new policy, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications Ben Rhodes failed to provide any details. Reporters asked several times what kind of aid the administration had in mind, and whether Obama was actually going to arm the rebels. “We’re just not going to be able to lay out an inventory of what exactly falls under the scope of that assistance,” said Rhodes. Last week, Obama himself addressed the Syria issue, without providing any more clarity than his point man for strategic communications. In an appearance on the Charlie Rose show, the commander in chief told his host, “I’ve said I’m ramping up support for both the political and military opposition. I’ve not specified exactly what we’re doing, and I won’t do so on this show.” Maybe someone in the White House is advising Obama that obfuscation and ambiguity make a president look presidential.

Arlene Kushner With Assorted Good News From Israel (And Current Events)

From Arlene Kushner:
July 9, 2013

Look for the Good

If there is good "stuff" happening in the Middle East, it is almost certainly happening in Israel.  In recent days, every time I post I want to end with some of that good stuff, but lose momentum after writing about all the bad.  And so today I will reverse procedure.

Abdu Razek, an Ethiopian boy of about nine who was severely mauled by rampaging hyenas in his small village, and disfigured as a result of his injury, has been brought to Israel for treatment. Hospitals in Ethiopia did not have the sophisticated equipment necessary for addressing his situation: he requires surgery on his head and major skin grafting on his face. 

Credit: Jpost

What Do Nasrallah and Hezbollah Have Planned for Lebanon?

The following by Hilal Khashan is reposted here with permission of Middle East Forum:

Hezbollah's Plans for Lebanon

by Hilal Khashan
Middle East Quarterly
Spring 2013, pp. 81-86 (view PDF)

Hezbollah first became known to the Lebanese public in 1985 with its now-famous open letter, whose introductory statement read: "We are the sons of the umma (Muslim community)—of the party of God (Hezbollah), the vanguard of which was made victorious by God in Iran. … We obey the orders of one leader… that of our tutor and faqih [i.e., Ayatollah Khomeini]."[1] A year later Hassan Nasrallah, then an officer associated with the party's consultative council and now its supreme leader, made the organization's overall goals and strategy unmistakably clear: "We are incapable at the present time of installing the rule of Islam, but this does not mean postponing our ideology and project … We must work hard to achieve our goal, and the most important means of doing so is to transform Lebanon into a society of war."[2]

Arlene Kushner: Did Kerry Pressure Netanayahu To Give 500 Acres Of Israeli Land To The Palestinians?

From Arlene Kushner:
June 6, 2013

Not Acceptable

On May 16, I had written about plans to establish a new Palestinian Arab city near Jericho, reportedly to be called Nu'aimah, which would house tens of thousands of residents and require the transfer of almost 2,000 dunam (500 acres) of land from the Jordan Valley Regional Council -- which is in area C -- to the PA for the project.

At that time, I indicated reports that Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, on learning about this project, ordered it stopped immediately.  But the stop was until Ya'alon "could formulate a position on the issue."

So I conferred upon Ya'alon a "tentative bravo."  "...we'll have to wait to see what position he formulates," I wrote."

And now we know what his position is (at least on the record).  He has given the project his go ahead. 

Read: Yaalon Gives Green Light to PA City in Jordan Valley

And it is this that is absolutely NOT ACCEPTABLE.

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