Reading this article was like the conversations my husband and I have. When we heard that there was a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as soon as we heard 'Lebanon' we knew this was a farce. How did they negotiate with Lebanon, when its government is too afraid to deal with Hezbollah? You were so on point, it was scary. Israel has made so many errors over the many years it's been fighting its enemies and is still repeating those errors. When they had victory, they gave land back and sacrificed the security of those borders. Israel made it easier for their enemies to attack. Since October 7th, there have been multple fake ceasefires. Ceasefires are for the enemy's benefit. The IDF may get a short pause until rockets are fired and then it's back to fighting. We're of tired hearing about weapons destroyed, leaders assassinated, Hezbollah buildings blown up, and somehow Israel believes it's doing the job. Yet, Hezbollah emerges like a phoenix time and time again. Until the Israeli government sees itself as the strong fighter it really is, it will continue to 'mow the grass' giving its enemies time to plan future attacks.
Before reading this, I was blaming Trump for the renewed and pointless—- worse than pointless— negotiations with Lebanon. But it is Israel’s leadership that has repeatedly over the years played out this melodrama, at the expense of the lives of Israeli soldiers and the security of the north.
Maybe now the Gulf countries are convinced that Iran and, by extension, Hezbollah, can no longer be managed. They won’t so much fight alongside Israel but if they tell Trump they won’t make a stink over destruction in Lebanon, maybe the pressure on Israel will ease. But here I am again, putting most of the blame on the U.S. when appeasement and lawn mowing has motivated Israel’s strategic thinking for so long.
A lot of simultaneous chessbaords are being played on. We are facing new elections. 52 (or 61)-card pickup is the big local board, but so many others in play at the same time. Been to this movie already.
Now, the question is whether one person— say, Trump— playing 5 dimensional chess is better or worse than all this action by multiple players.
But, seriously, Israel’s actions do take place in concert, or counterpoint to, or downright opposition to the interests (sometimes misperceived) of others. Great point, Heddy
The problems is lunatics elects the lunatics who govern Israel and the electoral system in Israel is designed to do that. This is a problem that goes all the way back to the Bible, which is why I have been publishing a rewrite of the Five Books of Moses on my substack at schecter.substack.com. My latest posting today will deal with the story of the spies, another band of lunatics who set the stage for grasshoppers in Zion for millennia. There is one consolation from the ceasefire in that a) it is of short duration; b) it allows for Israeli retaliation for any breach; and c) the end game involves US ensuring the Lebanese army gets rid of Hizbollah. As this will not happen and Israel is in control of the south of Litani, expect an eventual resumption of hostilities leading to the end of Lebanon and the expansion of Israel's borders. Reality eventually trumps even misguided politicians. Unfortunately, the Opposition in Israel is even more misguided, albeit fragmented, with one of the fragments bellicose but hampered, as in the past, by his anti-Netanyahu chums.
NO, "it will keep happening" as long as Hezbollah and their criminals and terrorists continue to be financed from "secret" accounts at "Financial Places" in the "Free West" and their alleged allies, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, British Isles, Caribbean, Qatar, Singapur, Shenzhen a.m.o. - Guess why nobody in the "Free West" is talking about these "secrets", let alone taking any action against it.
Perhaps because the "mainstream" of the "Free West," the "critical left," is busy persecuting and criminalizing the legal economy, while screaming "Free Palestine", "-phobia!!!", "Discrminiation!!!" etc., and while the freedoms and rights of customers and citizens are being destroyed from ALL sides and handed over to chatbots, "contact forms" or "no-reply" addresses?
Reading this article was like the conversations my husband and I have. When we heard that there was a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as soon as we heard 'Lebanon' we knew this was a farce. How did they negotiate with Lebanon, when its government is too afraid to deal with Hezbollah? You were so on point, it was scary. Israel has made so many errors over the many years it's been fighting its enemies and is still repeating those errors. When they had victory, they gave land back and sacrificed the security of those borders. Israel made it easier for their enemies to attack. Since October 7th, there have been multple fake ceasefires. Ceasefires are for the enemy's benefit. The IDF may get a short pause until rockets are fired and then it's back to fighting. We're of tired hearing about weapons destroyed, leaders assassinated, Hezbollah buildings blown up, and somehow Israel believes it's doing the job. Yet, Hezbollah emerges like a phoenix time and time again. Until the Israeli government sees itself as the strong fighter it really is, it will continue to 'mow the grass' giving its enemies time to plan future attacks.
Before reading this, I was blaming Trump for the renewed and pointless—- worse than pointless— negotiations with Lebanon. But it is Israel’s leadership that has repeatedly over the years played out this melodrama, at the expense of the lives of Israeli soldiers and the security of the north.
Maybe now the Gulf countries are convinced that Iran and, by extension, Hezbollah, can no longer be managed. They won’t so much fight alongside Israel but if they tell Trump they won’t make a stink over destruction in Lebanon, maybe the pressure on Israel will ease. But here I am again, putting most of the blame on the U.S. when appeasement and lawn mowing has motivated Israel’s strategic thinking for so long.
A lot of simultaneous chessbaords are being played on. We are facing new elections. 52 (or 61)-card pickup is the big local board, but so many others in play at the same time. Been to this movie already.
I love your first sentence: A lot of simultaneous
Chessboards are being played on.
Now, the question is whether one person— say, Trump— playing 5 dimensional chess is better or worse than all this action by multiple players.
But, seriously, Israel’s actions do take place in concert, or counterpoint to, or downright opposition to the interests (sometimes misperceived) of others. Great point, Heddy
The problems is lunatics elects the lunatics who govern Israel and the electoral system in Israel is designed to do that. This is a problem that goes all the way back to the Bible, which is why I have been publishing a rewrite of the Five Books of Moses on my substack at schecter.substack.com. My latest posting today will deal with the story of the spies, another band of lunatics who set the stage for grasshoppers in Zion for millennia. There is one consolation from the ceasefire in that a) it is of short duration; b) it allows for Israeli retaliation for any breach; and c) the end game involves US ensuring the Lebanese army gets rid of Hizbollah. As this will not happen and Israel is in control of the south of Litani, expect an eventual resumption of hostilities leading to the end of Lebanon and the expansion of Israel's borders. Reality eventually trumps even misguided politicians. Unfortunately, the Opposition in Israel is even more misguided, albeit fragmented, with one of the fragments bellicose but hampered, as in the past, by his anti-Netanyahu chums.
NO, "it will keep happening" as long as Hezbollah and their criminals and terrorists continue to be financed from "secret" accounts at "Financial Places" in the "Free West" and their alleged allies, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, British Isles, Caribbean, Qatar, Singapur, Shenzhen a.m.o. - Guess why nobody in the "Free West" is talking about these "secrets", let alone taking any action against it.
Perhaps because the "mainstream" of the "Free West," the "critical left," is busy persecuting and criminalizing the legal economy, while screaming "Free Palestine", "-phobia!!!", "Discrminiation!!!" etc., and while the freedoms and rights of customers and citizens are being destroyed from ALL sides and handed over to chatbots, "contact forms" or "no-reply" addresses?