For Now, Opinion May Be Going Israel's Way

Over at The Corner, Byron York writes:

Gallup also asked "How much do you blame [blank] for the current attacks in Israel and Lebanon — a great deal, a moderate amount, not very much, or not at all?" The results were:

	Great deal	Moderate	Not very much	Not very much
Israel	15	30	21	23
Hezbollah	53	23	7	5
Iran	39	31	13	6
Syria	29	26	13	6
Lebanon	27	28	15	9

Meanwhile, Arutz Sheva is reporting:

A U.N. official charged Hizbullah terrorists of acting "cowardly" by exploiting civilians. His accusation helps balance criticism that Israel has caused a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.

European countries and foreign media, from the outset of Israel's retaliation to the Hizbullah terrorist war against Israel, have charged that the Jewish state has caused a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon.

However, Jan Egeland, head of the United Nationals humanitarian efforts, accused Hizbullah of "cowardly blending" among women and children." He said he heard that the terrorists were pleased that civilians suffered more than their own terrorists. "I don't think anyone should be proud of having many more children and women dead than armed men," he added.

Egeland criticised Israel as well for the loss of innocent life in Lebanon, but to hear a UN official criticize Hizbollah is a welcome event. So is the Gallup poll.

But Bret Stephens warns Olmert:

You also have to worry that the diplomatic winds won't long blow fair. What happens when an IDF bomb goes astray over Beirut and kills scores of civilians within plain view of the media?...

Your quandary, therefore, is this: As a matter of perception, the war is yours to lose. As a matter of reality, you might very easily lose it. This gap between perception and reality makes victory all the more difficult to achieve.

Polls and UN approval are ephermal things.
Let's hope that whatever Israel is able to accomplish in Lebanon is not.

Technorati Tag: Israel and HIzbollah and Hezbollah and Lebanon and UN and Egeland and Gallup.